Over The Stars
by The Strawberry Phoenix
Summary: The innocence in a child's face. Even an Irken child. From Earth, to the Massive, to Conventia, to Foodcourtia, to Irk,to Vort, to a battle unlike any other, with new and old companions.
1. Defect

Defect

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

_60 years ago_

Two figures calmly made their way down long bare halls of the Smeeterie. Cold, unfeeling, robot arms were busy hatching the Irken young and immediately preparing them for their lives ahead by attaching the Paks.

"I am happy you allowed me down here, Attendant Exel," said the taller of the two.

"It's an honor and privilege to have here, Tallest Miyuki. But if I may pry just a little, why did you want to come here?"

"I simply wanted to see how the process has been improved. The smeets are our future, it is crucial we have the DNA process as perfect as possible."

"No offense, but all of this is still a machine, and there will always be cracks in the system…My Tallest."

"Hmm, you're probably right. No machine is perfect, it will break down eventually."

"I didn't mean it like that. This process is the best to be created. A worthy and accomplished male Irken, a worthy and accomplished female Irken, take both their donated DNA, and we have a perfect smeet for the Empire."

"But the Paks are what hold our memories and thoughts, a defective Pak means a defective Irken."

"We can always find a place for them, my Tallest."

Before Miyuki could respond, a flashing light began spinning on one of the walls of embryonic tubes. One of the tubes was sparking. A robot arm quickly extracted it and broke it open. The smeet fell, but no arm approached it to attach the Pak.

"What's going on?" Miyuki asked.

But Exel was too forlorn to respond. "I had hoped and prayed that I would never have to do this! In the years I was to serve as an Attendant…this is so horrible."

"What is it?" she asked again.

"I apologize my Tallest. This is an Automatic Defect. No Pak is to be attached; a hover plate will be here momentarily to take the smeet away."

"The Defects-From-Birth? I thought that had been corrected before I was even born."

"No, the Auto-Defects still occur. I had hoped I would never have to condemn them like this. The plate will take them to be destroyed. There's no place for their kind in our Empire."

A hover plate floated down and remained at the ready, prepared to take the innocent smeet to its fate. Exel stooped to pick up the smeet, but another alarm sounded in the hall next to them. "One of the arms is malfunctioning."

Miyuki tapped his shoulder. "I'll take care of the smeet, you go to the arm. A malfunctioning arm is dangerous."

But Exel understood the other meaning to this offer. The Tallest was saving him from his conscience of sending this smeet to its death. "Bless you." He ran off to the next hall to fix the arm.

Miyuki stooped to pick up the smeet. She had heard from the Control Brains that, long ago, smeets were born from female Irkens. They had acted as this one did now, defenseless, weak, no Pak to immediately give it life. A true newborn. She held the smeet, looking down upon it, and realized why Exel had never wanted to do this. An innocent life would be exterminated just because of a title. She realized she couldn't do it either.

"You want life like all living things," she said quietly, "And just because you're an Auto-Defect, you won't get it." The female Tallest looked around. No Attendants. "You are very lucky today." She hovered over to the robot arm. With a simple code, she made it retrieve a Pak and bring it to her. Once the Pak was safely on the smeet's back, she made the hover plate retreat back and silently exited the Smeeterie.

"I'm friends with one of the Control Brains. With a little sympathy, whining, and begging, I can assure you you're not going to be destroyed."

* * *

I luv this show


	2. One's Own Kind

One's Own Kind

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The door was flung open, revealing Zim, battered, burned, and cursing under his breath. Skoodge froze from his place on the couch, but decided that no words could make this situation any better.

"That Dib beast, he will pay. He will scream my mighty name as he suffers for eternity, so says ZIM!"

Skoodge opened his mouth to speak, but shut it once more. He had learned quickly not to mess around in these situations, just let Zim tire himself out with the threats and curses meant for Dib. He would stop in about an hour or two.

"One day, oh yes, I will have my REVENGE! He shall burn as I have!"

"But I thought humans don't smoke when they come in contact with meat like we do." Skoodge quickly covered his mouth after saying so.

Zim cast him a glance, as if finally noticing him. "They don't. It seems nothing on this WRETCHED and FILTHY planet harms them!"

Skoodge inched toward the window and peered out. "Hey, there's a person watching the house."

Zim grabbed the nearest thing, a baseball bat placed purposely near the door, and flung open the door to confront the intruder. He let out a battle cry and swung the bat. Dib, who had been right beyond the fence, yelled loudly and ran off. But Zim took off after him, still swinging the bat wildly.

"That wasn't the…okay." Skoodge settled back to watch the actual person he had been talking about. A small human was sitting on in the middle of the cul-de-sac, intently watching the house that housed two aliens and a defective robot. He couldn't tell much about it. It was very small, obviously a young child. But it wore a large black coat with lilac stripes. The hood fell over most of its face and the sleeves covered its hands completely. "I'll let Zim know when he comes back."

* * *

"I made WAFFLES!" GIR held up the plate.

"No thank you, I'm still burping up bubbles."

GIR began screaming until Skoodge finally took one. _I can deal with more bubbles._ The door opened, catching both their attentions. Zim placed the bat up against the wall and shut the door, a triumphant look on his face.

"Did-ja get him?" GIR asked.

"Oh yes, I got him GIR. PRAISE BE TO ZIM!"

"That wasn't the human I was talking about," said Skoodge.

Zim's antennae perked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"There's a little kid, sitting in the road, it's the one watching the house. I wasn't talking about Dib."

"Fool!" Zim rushed to the window. "It studies us."

"It's only a little kid, younger than the Skool children. What could it possibly know?"

"You fool! You are completely unaware of what they appear to be and what they are! Our neighbors have a baby that's an alien."

"I luvs the baby!" GIR screeched.

"Or it could be another situation like with Tak."

Skoodge looked toward the door. "Should one of us just go out there and check?"

"No! We shall wait and watch, copy the enemy's tactics. We do not require sleep as a need, but they do. I will not give up. Victory will be mine!"

Skoodge wandered away. He took one of the hidden elevators down into the laboratory. Although it was true that Irkens don't absolutely need sleep, it's a nice way to recharge, heal from injuries, and pass the time. If Zim wanted to stay up all night watching the kid, then at least Skoodge was going to get some peaceful sleep for once.

* * *

The sun rose. GIR was busy in the kitchen, but Zim, however, was still standing at the window.

"Oh what a challenging adversary," he weakly whispered.

The young child continued to stare, or so he guessed seeing as how he couldn't actually see its eyes. But it hadn't moved.

"GIR! Go out there and chase the child away. I grow tired of this stupid staring."

"Okee dokee!" He slipped into his dog costume and ran out the door. Zim watched him walked up to the child, extend a few guns, and wait. The child turned its head toward him. Soon, GIR turns and happily skips back to the house.

"What happened? Why did you not obey?"

"She gave me a cookie!"

"Ah! You are useless!"

Tears began to slip out of GIR's eyes. Zim couldn't help but feel remorseful for what he'd said, but turned back to watching the child. The little robot went back into the kitchen.

"Hey Zim," Skoodge came back up from the lab, "am I ever going to get to go to Skool with you? Things are slow and boring around here."

"What would I say about you suddenly showing up in my class?" but the Irken wasn't even facing his 'roommate'.

"Say I'm your cousin and new in town. The latter's technically true."

Zim tore his gaze away from the window. "It's not that simple. Other children just showing up in class...however, if you participate, maybe Ms. Bitters will send the Dib beast to the underground classroom. This is a wonderful chance to subject him to light pain and horror before I take care of him." He turned back to the window, then screamed loudly. "It's gone! The child is gone! I look away and it disappears! It's plotting!"

"It's just a kid-"

"You liiieeeee!"

"How can I-?"

"Quiet!" Zim held his hand up. "Only I will be leaving the house until I find out what the child's plans are. GIR!"

"Yes my lord!" The robot stood in the kitchen doorway, saluting and glowing red.

"You were out there, what did the child look like?"

"Like an angel."

"What nonsense do you spew?"

"She looked pretty. I like her, she gave me COOKIE!"

Zim looked thoughtful. "Bribing my minion? She knows too much about us."

"Maybe she just thinks the house looks odd," said Skoodge.

"I will go to Skool. You watch over the base and make sure the child doesn't come back." Zim quickly retrieved his contacts and wig.

"What do you want me to do if she does come back?"

"Stay on high alert." He slammed the door on his way out.

"I made more waffles!" GIR called from the kitchen.

* * *

Two eyes watched one of the house patrons leave. Such a curious house, it's a wonder why no one was suspecting anything.

_It doesn't matter. All that does matter is that I found them._

* * *

I watched 'Zim eats waffles' I started laughing when Gir screamed when Zim wouldn't eat his waffles _  
_


	3. A Moment

A Moment

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"What was with chasing me with a bat yesterday?" Dib said loudly as Zim walked into the classroom. "I didn't even do anything!"

"Insolent dirt worm!"

"Zim, Dib! Shut up and take your seats!" Ms. Bitters growled.

Zim decided to tune the creepy teacher out of his mind and focus on a more interesting subject that required his immediate attention. The child. What was she doing? What did she know? He began to run scenarios through his head about what to do. Some were a little gruesome. One even involved a bear trap. But he figured old-fashioned was the way to go and settled on a snare. What did he have to lose? What did the child have to lose? If she could spend hours watching the house, then what family could she have? Then, why was she doing it? Wait.

"I know your plan you sniveling mud dweller!" he screamed at Dib from across the room.

"What plan?"

"Don't act innocent! You distracted me yesterday!"

"I'm still traumatized from you chasing me with a baseball bat like an insane freak!"

"And while you were distracting me, your decoy-spy took her position!"

"What decoy-spy? You're insane!"

"What are you offering her? How low you have sunk to recruit a mere child!"

"Silence!" Ms. Bitters shouted over their voices.

Both settled down, but continued to glare at each other for the remainder of class. Their hate seemed to intensify and filled the room. Of course, everyone was too dead in the head from Ms. Bitters' boring as hell lectures about doom and death, so no one really noticed. But their hate was so intense, by lunch time, it was on.

* * *

"Computer," said Skoodge.

"What?"

"I was wondering, do you think the child is a reason to be wary?"

"Well, I'm not really sure. She's been out there everyday for a while. But she appears to not be any threat. Maybe just curious. There is some Earth saying 'curiosity killed the cat' and with Zim around, I don't think that child's going to last much longer."

"Where's the kitty?" GIR ran out the door.

Skoodge peered around, cautious about being seen. Although, he realized, no one seemed to notice. She was out there, her head turned to GIR. Her hood still covered much of her face, but her lower jaw was moving. The robot stood perfectly still. He seemed to listen with great depth, and even nodded once every few seconds. The child held out her sleeve-covered hand to him.

"GIR," Skoodge called as loudly as he dared, "you're out of costume. Get back here, quick!"

The little robot took the girl's hand and began to eagerly lead her to the house.

"No GIR! Don't bring her here! Stop!" he whispered frantically.

The child turned her head toward GIR and seemed to ask something, to which he responded. Suddenly she stopped dead right outside the yard. GIR kept going and ended up falling on his back.

He jumped up and giggled. "You funny...and strong. Come on! We'll play roll on the floor! We'll order a pizza! We'll make waffles! I'll shows you my rubber piggy collection! Ri...Ri... want you name?"

She shook her head and pulled her hand out of his. Skoodge strained his antennae to hear. But all he caught was "can't go. I need _him._ He'll understand." Definitely female.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwww." GIR's antenna dropped.

"We'll play some time," the child assured him. She looked up, although it's hard to tell because of the hood, and right at Skoodge. Then she turned away and walked down the center of the street. A car swerved to barely miss her, but she didn't even flinch.

"Ri-Ri com'in back somes time!" GIR cheered. "We'll haves fun!"

"Ri-Ri?"

"Yep. She wants talk to master, but he no here!"

"She wants to talk to Zim? Did she say anything about why?"

"Only that he'd understand." The robot ran back inside.

* * *

"He will PAY!"

Zim had left Skool during lunch. There was no point hanging around. At least Dib couldn't follow him today, he was too busy cleaning up the mess. The Irken Invader patted at his wig, extinguishing the fire as best he could. He was battered and beaten, but no better off than Dib. His vengeance would be sweet. Thoughts ran through his head about what to do. He was so intent on this, he walked right past the hooded girl, hidden in an alley.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings."

Zim stopped dead. "Who's there?"

"The one you're stressing over." She stepped out.

"You! You're the child! What are you doing watching my base?"

"It's not so much as what, as it is of why. Why am I watching your base? I can't quite answer that. Maybe simply for the sake of observing."

"You lie! What are you plotting?"

"To get in touch with certain roots."

"What roots?"

"Yours...and the other's...and mine."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll find out when the time comes. But for now..." she went back into the alley, "farewell."

"Wait!" Zim rushed forward, only to make contact with a dumpster. He slid down, groaning in pain. Readjusting his lenses, he looked around the dumpster to see the child was gone. "You will not escape again," he growled.

A light laughter echoed from the alley.

* * *

Some little hints there.


	4. Ezari

Ezari

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The hologram of Earth rippled and hissed uneasily.

"Computer! Can't you get a better picture?"

"No."

Zim settled back into his chair. He figured a little plotting of Earth's doom would help him get his mind off the child. But what she said seemed so intent on staying as the first thing in his mind.

"I will capture her and make her tell me what she knows. With fear striking in her puny body, she will not be able to resist! Why am I talking to myself like the Dib-beast?"

"Because I won't listen?" said the Computer.

"How dare you interrupt me and my thoughts!"

"You were asking a question."

"Silence! Now," he jumped off his chair and went over to the elevator, "take me up to the living section."

"I thought you had plotting to do?"

"You dare contradict me? I am ZIM! Take me up to the living section."

"Fine."

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Skoodge was crouched by the table, peering around the corner and into the living room. "She's _here._ The child's _in_ the base."

"What? No! Why didn't the security kick in?"

"GIR let her in."

"GIR!"

"He's busy. They're playing."

Zim crouched with him. "This is bad. She'll know our secrets on the inside too."

"Yeah... should we do something?"

"Hmmmm, I don't think the security system will recognize her as a threat because she seems harmless, but I know the truth."

"Really? Alright! Let's do something."

"Yes," Zim extended the spider legs from his PAK, "let's."

GIR and the child were both sitting on the floor. A collection of rubber piggies and a moose was set between them.

"Hi master!" GIR waved as Zim and Skoodge entered the room, spider legs poised to attack.

Zim thrust his legs forward, trying to bury them into the child. She spun on a dime and jumped. The legs buried themselves in the floor. The child landed on one of the metal bars and clung to it like an expert. For all they knew, she was one.

"That's not nice," she scolded.

"Get off my spider legs!"

"Only if you don't attack me."

Zim pulled the legs out of the floor and swung them around, forcing the child to hang on tight.

"Wild ride!" GIR cheered.

Unable to hold out any longer, she let go, sliding across the floor. Zim raised himself up on his legs. "You've made the worst mistake of your life when you entered my base."

The child got back to her feet. "Doesn't this count as murder?" She pulled back her hood.

Zim dropped to the floor, his surprise was so great, it made GIR start giggling. The child was Irken. And not only that, but young as well. Very young. A smeet. A small Irken smeet with beautifully curled antennae and golden brown eyes. The jacket was way too big for her, the collar slipping off her tiny shoulders. This revealed she wore nothing underneath. All she had was the jacket. She had even modified it so as to make wearing it easier. She had cut up on each sides of her hips a large rip, splitting the two halves into two tailcoats. The tailcoat in front had then been cut in half and each one wrapped around a leg and stitched roughly to form pants of some kind. The other dragged behind her like an actual tail. The sleeves would also drag on the ground.

"You seem surprised," she said to Zim.

"You...you're a smeet. Smeets aren't allowed even on the surface of Irk until they are ten years old. What are you doing _here_?"

"That's the question isn't it? Even I don't know the full answer."

"Take the moose!" GIR offered the squeaky toy to her.

The young smeet hugged the toy to her chest. "I am here because of a title. A title bestowed onto me from birth. Defective."

"I thought Defects were determined by what they did in their later life?" said Skoodge.

"Yeah," Zim got up and brushed himself off, "how can you be a Defect while being so young? What did you do to piss off the Control Brains?"

"Nothing, I was simply born. An Auto-Defect."

"I heard about those!" said Skoodge. "Auto-Defects, in the old times, were bred to be Ultimate Weapons. However, they appeared with numerous problems that could not be fixed or controlled. But the Weapons continued to still show up in the Smeeterie, so when each was born, it was immediately destroyed."

"Horrible!" GIR screamed and started to cry.

"That's right," said the smeet, "but I am here. So why? Why wasn't I destroyed, and instead sent here?"

"Your PAK should tell you," said Zim. "It holds your memories."

"All I can get is the face of an Irken female with sapphire eyes looking down at me. You two are from Irk and are actual members of the race. What female had blue eyes? That's rare, is it not?"

"Almighty Tallest Miyuki had blue eyes," said Skoodge.

"But what would a Tallest want with me?"

"Maybe it's why you're here on Earth. Maybe it's test to see if the Auto-Defects are still problematic."

"I've been here for sixty years. And in that time, I've been hurt, abused actually, starved, traumatized, and ridiculed. I am nothing to these people, or to our own kind. I simply wish to find out why I am be subjected to this torture, then die in my sleep."

"Just don't do it here," said Zim, turning back into the kitchen.

"Zim!" Skoodge rushed after him, "We can't let her die! What would the Tallest say?"

"She's an Auto-Defect, it's illegal to harbor one, punishable by death. They were labeled as such for a reason. The mighty Zim will not fall victim by simply breaking a coveted law!"

"I can hide here," said the smeet. "The Tallest will never have to see me when you communicate with them. I'm asking you please for a home with my own kind. I don't want to go back to the streets."

Zim was fighting a metal battle. Surely the Tallest would be upset if they found out he broke an ages-old law. But as long as the smeet wasn't found out, then by the time he ruled the universe, it would become known that he had welcomed a poor innocent member of his species into his home. "Fine! But you stay far away from the communicators. You will be given a job around here."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Keep GIR from getting trouble. You can pull that off at least."

"Thank you."

"Hn. Whatever. What is your name?"

"My assigned name, according to my Pak, was Ezari. But here on Earth, I adopted a shorter, more human-sounding name. I go by Ria."

"Ri-Ri!" GIR exclaimed.

"Very well then, Ezari, don't interfere with my plans on world domination, and you can stay." He went back to the toilet and flushed himself down to the lab.

"Does he not realize I prefer Ria?" she asked Skoodge.

"His loyalty to the Empire, like mine, is incredible. He recognized you by the name your were given. But if you want, I'll call you Ria."

"Thanks."


	5. Hijacking

Hijacking

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"Who's the Dib?"

"A human boy who fights with Zim. They both go to the Skool. He's the only one who's aware of us here on Earth."

"Really? Then why aren't we run out?"

"Because nobody believes him and thinks him to be insane. In fact- hey Zim!" Skoodge shouted down an open tunnel, "Didn't you say that Dib was put in a... mental institute?"

No answer.

"Computer?"

"What now?"

"Dib was put in a metal hospital once, right?"

"Yeah. I forgot what happened, but it was temporary."

"Wow," Ria leaned back into the couch, "So Irk dodged a bullet?"

"I guess," said the Computer, not knowing what guns had to do with it.

* * *

"It's nice to eat Irken food." Ria was finally getting the food she needed. Her body, even for a smeet, was incredibly small and thin. But stuck on this planet with nothing but disgusting human food to eat, a vast majority of it being toxic or acidic to Irkens, what would one expect?

"I like tacos." GIR leaned against the young smeet while they were both sitting at the kitchen table. He had taken an immediate liking to her. They were about the same size, her being maybe just slightly taller.

"I know you do."

Zim came up through the trashcan, wig and lenses in hand. "Skoodge! Put on a disguise. We need to collect metal cans for my next plan."

"Can we come?" Ria asked.

Zim cast her a side long glance. "No, you stay here and keep GIR from leaving the house. He keeps going to some dance club."

"But we can find cans! That's how I got a daily income!"

"A what?"

"Daily income. You know, money?"

"Ahh, monies you mean."

"Monies? No, no, I think I'm saying it right. Money is singular and plural."

"What are you talking about?"

"... I lost my train of thought, anyhow, I collected cans and turned them in for recycling and got change for it. So if you need help with collecting cans, that's me."

"What does a train have to do with memory? If your memory is defective, I can work on your PAK and fix it."

The smeet suddenly grew defensive. "No! Uh, I mean, that's okay, it's fine. The train thing is just a figure of speech. A metaphor, like... a road hog or... a couch potato. The two things have nothing in common, but humans use them together. Very abstract really, never got a clue of why, but I use them anyway."

"Ooookay. Skoodge! Get a disguise. You two," he pointed at Ria and GIR, "Stay here and don't touch my stuff."

"I don't wanna!" GIR screeched.

* * *

"Whatcha watching?" Ria asked.

"Angry Monkey," GIR replied.

"That show's been going downhill since its tenth season."

"Mm hmm."

Ria collected the rubber piggies and the squeaky moose and climbed onto the couch with GIR. "Hey GIR, what makes Zim happy?"

"Master? When he wins."

"Does he win often?"

"He thinks he does."

"Do _you_ think he does?"

"I don't know. I like food."

"Focus!" Ria snapped her fingers. "What if I did something for him? Something he liked, something that would make him happy? Would he like me more?"

"Whatcha gonna do?"

"I'll prank Dib. Make him miserable, Zim'll like that, won't he?"

GIR giggled like crazy.

"You wanna help?"

"Yes!" He squeezed the moose tightly, causing its head to pop off. He looked at the decapitated moose, betraying no emotion. Ria took in a cautious breath. This wasn't going to go well.

"GIR?"

"MY MOOSIE! MY MOOSIE! WHY DID YOU GO? WHY? I LOVEDED YOU! WHY?" Tears sprayed from his eyes (he's a robot, why can he do that?).

"GIR please stop crying! I'll...I'll...I'll get you a new moose. Would you like that? A new moosie?"

The little robot stopped crying. "Okay!"

"Crisis averted. Do you know the way to Dib's house?"

"Yeah."

Because of how she had transformed the jacket, the pockets on the front were on her 'pant legs' which were made from the front lower half of the jacket. A pocket was on each leg. Ria dug into on of them and pulled out a small pouch of pocket change. "This is my income. We're gonna go to the store and get a few things, then you'll lead me to Dib's house."

"Okay!"

Ria pulled one last thing out of her pocket. It looked like a collar, it was a collar. The smeet retrieved a spare of Zim's lenses and put them in place. "This is my disguise, but I lost my old lenses," she explained to GIR, "so I'm borrowing Zim's." She snapped the collar around her neck. Her body rippled and changed. Her skin wasn't green anymore and she had ruffled, untidy black hair that fell over her eyes. "Get your disguise and a leash."

* * *

No one would suspect an adorable little girl walking her green dog to be up to anything suspicious. So no one really paid any attention to them in the store.

"Black spray paint. Black spray paint," Ria mumbled to herself.

"I got eggs!" GIR had the carton balanced on top of his head.

"Good GIR. Today's Saturday, so they might be home. We gotta be careful."

"OKAY!"

"Shhh! Dogs don't talk!" she whispered.

"OKAY!"

"GIR be quiet!"

"OKAY!"

Ria swiped a can of spray paint off the shelf and stuffed it in his mouth. He quieted down even after he swallowed it.

"That stays between us, okay? There's no spray can missing off the shelf, so we don't have to pay for it."

"Mm hmm."

* * *

GIR levitated with Ria on his head, checking each window for witnesses before spraying them black.

"GIR, where are the eggs?"

"I eated them."

"Why would you do that? We needed those!"

"Cuz I wanted to."

"And that makes up for it?"

"Maybe."

The robot dropped back to the ground, letting his companion off. Both began to make their way to the front yard. The garage was cracked open slightly, not too much, but enough to rouse the curiosity of a young smeet.

"What's in there do you suppose?"

"Chicken!" GIR ran right into the garage door.

Ria used his fallen body as a step and climbed through the crack between the doors. "GIR get in here!"

"Is it chocolate?" he called from outside.

"What? No! But I know enough of Irken culture to know what this is."

It was a Spittle Runner, painted red, and adorned with a strange version of the Irken insignia. GIR slipped through the crack. "It's the purple lady's ship!"

"The purple lady?"

"She was scary. I liked the kitty!"

Ria climbed into the cockpit. "It's been repaired. Maybe..." she fiddled with the controls, "GIR, how would you like to see a real moose?"

"A real moosie?"

"That's right. With this ship, I can take us to see a real moose."

"Moosie!"

"Get in."

* * *

"Computer! Where are they?" Zim demanded.

"They left about three hours ago."

"You were supposed to make sure they didn't leave!"

"You never told me to. You told Ria to watch GIR, but you never said I had to watch both of them."

"She's a smeet! She was bound to take him somewhere! They're curious! When I was a smeet I caused the amazing blackout when escaping to surface of Irk, but _I'm _incredible. Maybe Ezari wouldn't go too far."

"Master, she prefers to be called Ria."

"The name she was given by the mighty Irken Empire is Ezari. I shall always refer to her as Ezari!"

"Zim," Skoodge spoke up, "Where could she go?"

"I'm not sure." Zim began to pace back and forth. "She obviously knows the city well, she could go anywhere. But with GIR by her side, there's sure to be a trail of carnage to follow. Come Skoodge, let us find the carnage!"

Both burst through the door, only to come in contact head-on with a giant moose.

"What is this?" Zim screamed.

"A moose," Ria was sitting between the animal's antlers.

"Why is it here?"

"Because GIR popped the head of his squeaky, then we pranked Dib, found the Spittle Runner, then went to get a moose."

Zim went around the moose. "That's Tak's ship! You stole it?"

"Is Tak the purple lady?"

"Yes."

"Then yeah, we stole it."

The moose let out a loud grunt and began grazing on the grass in the front yard. GIR was sitting on its back, giggling and letting out small squeals. The Spittle Runner was parked by the fence.

"Get it out of here!" said Zim.

"What? Why?"

"You're in full view of the humans!"

"But they're too naive. No one noticed us knocking over the skyscraper, or the moose in our tractor beam."

"I knew it!"

They peeked around the moose to see Dib standing at the front of the path. "You stole the Dibship! I'm ready to fight you for it! Let's settle this!"

"_I _didn't steal it dirt-pig! Ez..." Zim's voice trailed away. He looked up at Ria, seated between the moose's antlers. "Just take it back! Get out of my sight!"

"Stop yelling at me!" Dib climbed into the cockpit and, with a little trouble, started the controls and flew off.

"Now," Zim turned back to Ria, "Ezari! You and GIR go back inside! Skoodge and I will get the Voot and take the moose back. Don't leave the base!"

Ria and GIR quickly slipped inside.

"Computer?" said Ria.

"Yes?"

"Does Zim hate me?"

"It's hard to tell, he hates everything. Except himself. Act like him, then he'll like you."

"But I'm not him."

"That's the problem."

* * *

i want a squeaky moose


	6. Fire Safety Month

Fire Safety Month

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"Fire? Hah! What do I need to fear from fire?"

"Shut up and sit down Zim, and you'll find out," said Ms. Bitters.

Zim settled back in his seat.

"As I was saying, this month is Fire Safety Month. You horribly doomed children will be taught what to do in case of fires, but at least half of you will fall to your doom by fires in the future anyway. Yes Dib?"

"Ms. Bitters? If someone steals your alien space ship, do you have a right to press legal charges?"

"You're lying!" Zim screeched.

"Quiet Zim! Dib...you're insane. In fact," a metal collar shot out from her desk and latched itself to Dib's face, "you will be allowed to speak once more when you're a little more sane."

Dib struggled with the collar, desperately mumbling something that sounded like "I can't breathe".

"We will be doing fire and evacuation drills. Just don't die during the drills, it makes us look bad."

* * *

"From my years of being here, I've seen Fire Safety Month as a normal thing in the school routine. Hey, you know your school is spelled wrong?"

"So," Zim said, completely ignoring Ria's last statement, "these 'drills' will prepare the students for a fire? What if one happens before the drills?"

"Then they'll evacuate, I think. I'm not sure. Fires don't happen often. The humans are good at keeping their young safe at school. But they _like_ keeping them at school, keeps them out of their hair."

Zim had taken to asking Ria more and more about what she knew about Earth society. The two helped each other. Ria, who had spent her whole life on Earth, taught him about Earth society. Zim, who had spent his whole life on Irk, taught her about Irken society. A win-win situation. Skoodge also helped her when Zim wasn't around, and GIR, well, he was just..._there. _

"I have a plan!" Zim announced.

"Oh goodie," said Computer.

"I will start a fire at school before these drills take place. The dirt children won't know what to do and will perish. I am ZIM!"

"It's kind of a natural instinct to get out of danger. You know, fight-or-flight response?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Of course. Irken from the Armada, you wouldn't."

But Zim wasn't paying attention anymore. He had flushed himself into the lab. Ria turned to GIR.

"Okay GIR, now what?"

The robot was laying flat on the linoleum. "I like this floor."

"Noted. But do you think Zim might take it too far? I mean, _I'm _Irken, but I don't act like he does, or like Skoodge. I think being here, and not part of the Armada, has changed me. I'm different from other Irkens, though I've only met two. I have emotions and feelings. All members of our race do, they're just trained to not show it. I can't let him do this. I won't! You with me GIR?"

"I like this floor."

* * *

"Just a bomb or something?" asked Skoodge.

"I shouldn't have to put too much effort into it. But if there's a chance of what Ezari was talking about is true, them getting away from danger, then I need a trap laid out for a specific stink-child."

"Dib?"

"Of course! I must lock him away inside the Skool. Once the fire is burning, the whole building will crumble, killing the Dib beast! I will be victorious!"

"How are you going to trap him?"

"I have my ways. Soon, the enemy of ZIM will be gone forever! I am ZIM!"

"And I'm Skoodge!"

"And I think you're both insane," said Computer.

"Shut your...mouth," Zim growled, "This plan will work. Everything is so well thought out."

"You haven't even built the bomb yet."

"SILENCE! Zim needs no back-talk from my Computer! "

"It's not back-talk, it's pointing out a fact."

"I said be quiet!"

"Fine." Computer shut down.

After a moment's thought, Zim began routing through his lab for supplies. But he couldn't find it on his own. "Computer! Bring me a stabilizer!"

No answer.

"You dare defy me?"

Still no answer.

"Please?"

"Okay." The stabilizer dropped onto the lab table.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING

"I'm begging you!" Ria clung to Zim's uniform, causing him to drag her across the floor. "Don't kill anyone!"

"You are ignorant in the rivalry I share with that human dirt child."

"You'll regret it!"

"You wanna bet?"

"Not now! But in years to come! It'll haunt you!"

"I can live with that."

"Don't you have a conscience?"

Zim undid her fingers from his uniform. As the smeet fell completely to the floor, Zim slammed the door shut. He stood up against the back of it and felt the dull 'thud!' as either Ria or GIR ran into it. "Foolish smeet, or robot, my vengeance will be as sweet as Irken candy! That sounds good, might have some when I get back home." The 'Invader' marched from his house and out into the street.

* * *

"GIR!"

The little robot picked himself off the floor after running into the door. "Yes Ri-Ri?" he said while glowing red.

"We need to stop Zim from hurting someone."

"Why? Master seems happy."

"GIR, do you like people getting hurt?"

"I like doom. I'm gonna sing the Doom Song!"

"No stop!" Ria hugged his head tightly to stop the words from escaping. "Just come with me. We have to stop Zim. He'll hate me, but I can't let him do it. It's against my nature." She pulled out her collar once more and snapped it around her neck. "Get your disguise, we're going out."

"Yay!"

Skoodge came up through the nightstand elevator, his arms full of Irken candy. "Hey GIR, Ria, I found some-" he dropped everything after realizing they weren't there.

* * *

"Let me go Zim!" Dib struggled against the restraints. He was tied up and hidden inside one of the bathroom stalls.

Zim laughed evilly. "You have fallen right into my trap sewer rat! Soon, my little bomb will go off and set the Skool on fire, and you will perish in the flames!"

"What trap? You dragged me here during recess!"

"Uhhhh, that was my plan all along! You big-headed no-brained pig smelly, feel my wrath!" He slammed the door shut and left the bathroom.

"Guh, now how am I gonna get out of here? I can't let Zim destroy the Skool! I won't let him win! Why am I talking to myself?"

* * *

Ms. Bitters droned on. "Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, d-"

THIS IS THE FIRE ALARM! HOW YA DOIN? RIGHT, SO UH, THERE'S A FIRE RIGHT NOW. YOU MIGHT WANNA GET OUT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, AT LEAST I THINK IT'S NOT. NO, DEFINITELY NOT! THERE'S A FIRE? WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! WHY ARE YOU SITTING THERE? GET OUT OF THE BUILDING!

The kids suddenly all started screaming and rushing for the windows. Ms. Bitters was grinding her teeth in pure rage.

"My revenge is complete," Zim said softly, leaving the room completely cool, calm, and collected.

* * *

"Hmm, the fire spread quicker than I thought. Excellent!" Zim stood outside with the growing crowd of people. The flames were growing taller by the minute. "Surely he's perished. I am ZIM!" He noticed the people staring at him. "Uh, the human boy who pines for the restoration of his beloved Skool, where I eat human food and play with my repulsive friends."

"Zim!" Skoodge pushed his way through the crowd, wearing the old man disguise.

"Skoodge? What are you doing here?"

"Ria and GIR got out! Ria was so upset about your plan I thought she might be here."

"Damn it! She will ruin everything!"

* * *

"Hello?" Dib called as loudly as his smoke-scratched throat could manage, which was more of a croak. "Help!"

The fire was blazing in the hallway he was currently in. The heat was unbearable and his eyes and throat were badly irritated.

_How I got out of those bindings was incredible, I don't even know how I did it. Let me just pull another miracle and get out of here._

"Hello? Please help!"

The ceiling cracked loudly, sending a few flaming boards tumbling down. Dib tripped over one and sprawled on the floor. He didn't get up. The smoke inhalation was doing him in.

_Am I gonna die here? I never did a lot of things I wanted to do. Like catch Zim or dissect a frog._

A small hand closed around the jagged scythe that was his hair. Although he couldn't make out what was happening, he could feel himself being dragged down the hallway. He could feel cloth brushing his face, something his rescuer was wearing.

_Maybe today is my lucky day._

He felt the cool touch of the grass. He knew he was outside, out of the building.

"You okay?"

Dib turned over to see his rescuer. A young girl wearing a black and lilac jacket that covered her whole body. He opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly so shocked he failed to make any noise. The girl's skin rippled then faded to green.

"Y-You're an alien!"

The girl felt the top of her head with her sleeve-covered hands, realizing her holographic hair was gone. She popped out the lenses and looked down at Dib.

"This is it! My chance. An alien not in disguise. Why am I still talking to myself?"

"Because your answers are the only ones you'll accept."

Dib looked at the young alien. "What?"

"Your answers are the only ones you'll accept when you ask yourself questions. Are you Dib?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Zim planned this whole thing to be rid of you. I am also a member of the same race as Zim, but I do not share his mannerisms. Thus, I rescued you. Now," she looked up, "I see I am in trouble."

Zim, along with Skoodge and GIR, was pushing his way through the crowds. His face was contorted in anger.

"Ezari! You foolish smeet, why did you rescue him?"

"I can't let you hurt him. I don't know why, I just can't."

"No wonder you're an Auto-Defect! You don't posses the natural killing instincts of the mighty Irken Empire! Get over here, we're going home!"

Ria walked over to his side, and, casting one last look at Dib, disappeared into the crowd with her kind.

Dib coughed violently before croaking, "I just got saved by an alien."

* * *

"I can see your violence levels don't even exist," said Zim, "We'll have to fix that. In my spare time, I'll conduct a training exercise for you. Until then, no conversing with humans, and no interrupting my plans."

"Then no trying to kill Dib."

"You fool! I must!"

"But why? Why must you?"

Skoodge burped lightly.

Zim's antennae stood straight up. "Your breath smells like chocolate... _Irken_ chocolate."

Skoodge wiped his hands on his shirt. "Is there a hint of peanut butter, cuz that would explain a lot."

"TACOS!" GIR screeched.

* * *

When Dib escaped is like what happened a few times in the series. In Gaz, Taster of Pork, Dib and Gaz escaped the lab, but it didn't show how. In Tak, the Hideous New Girl, Zim fought the Ham Demon, but it didn't show how it came to be. So, Dib escaped, but I didn't explain how. Personally, I wasn't in the mood. I just used this as an excuse.

Ria's personality is starting to show through, some reasons as why she is Defective. She has emotions and feelings, these leading up to her saving Dib from his doom.

The whole chocolate thing with peanut butter is something that happened to me. My brother stole my Reeses Peanut Butter cups. Of course, I was pissed. But what Skoodge said was his excuse.


	7. Volunteering

Volunteering

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"I forbid you!"

"Piss off!"

"You can't! You're on probation for rescuing the Dib human!"

Zim and Ria were so close to each other their foreheads were touching. Both were enraged so badly, the fire seemed to glow in their eyes.

"I've been doing it before I moved in with you guys and I will continue doing it! Besides, Mrs. Toof doesn't have much longer to live."

"What do I care? You'll just go and cause havoc!"

"That's what _you're_ doing!"

Skoodge and GIR watched from the couch as the two Irkens went at it. Ria, despite her diminutive size, was holding her ground...and doing a great job at it. The TV show GIR was watching suddenly flashed to a breaking news.

"We've received word that a mutant parrot-dog has escaped from its facility. Please use caution and phone the number on the screen should you see. It has a dog's body with green feathers and tiny wings. It is vicious and dangerous. Do not approach it. It spits acid."

"I've visited the hospital every week ever since I was left on the curb after being hit by a car. They were soooo nice to me! I was too young to be an actual volunteer, but I still came back and helped any way I could. Within time, I was a regular occurrence. I'm not gonna stop just because you say I can't go," Ria argued.

"Obey me!"

"No!"

* * *

"How did this happen?" Zim whined.

"Shut up," Ria led the group of four through the glass sliding doors. "You're here now, just accept it and we'll get on with our lives."

"I could be plotting the humans' demise right now, but no, you have me here at this-this chemical farm!"

"That smell is to sterilize everything. And I swear, if you hurt anyone here I'll...I'll steal the Voot! You'll never see it again!"

"You dare threaten me?"

"Hello Ria," said the receptionist.

"Hi Amanda, this is my new family, they're here to help out. This and Zim and Skoodge my... foster brothers. And this is GIR, our puppy!"

"Well he's just adorable. I need all of you to sign in at the check-in list. Safety precautions, we don't want to lose track of visitors, or get any we don't want."

"You dare threaten me?" Zim screamed at the receptionist this time.

"Just sign the damn sheet and stop yelling Zim," said Ria. She then stood on her toes and whispered to him, "Make sure you sign in human writing. Not Irken. GIR DON'T DRINK THE INK!" The smeet wrestled the broken pen away from the robot dog. "Bad..uh...doggy! Bad doggy! You don't eat writing utensils!"

"It called to me," said GIR, "It say 'EAT ME GIR, I A TACO!'"

Ria held it in front of his face. "This is a _pen_. And stop talking, dogs don't talk."

"Oh yeahhhh."

"You going to be a good puppy now?"

GIR squealed and nodded his head eagerly.

"So...what do we do?" asked Zim.

"Sit and talk with them. Some are sick, some are injured, some don't have much longer to live. Be nice."

Skoodge tapped Ria on the shoulder. "This place is like a huge medical bay, isn't it?"

"I guess, it's a hospital. It keeps the sick and injured together and not running around."

"Why doesn't Irk have something like this?"

"I wouldn't know that."

* * *

GIR wandered over to the candy machine. He stared blankly at it before sitting down in front of it. He didn't make any noises or even move. He just...stared. A small green dog with tiny wings on its front paws jumped through the window. It landed right beside him. GIR turned his head to it.

"Hi!"

The parrot-dog squawked.

"I know what you mean. I'm worshiping the food-giver." He turned back to the candy machine. "It knows alllll."

The parrot-dog squawked again.

"I knows alllll," GIR repeated.

The parrot-dog slipped in through flap at the bottom of the machine. It began grabbing different items and pushing them down to the bottom.

"GIR!" Ria called, "Let's go!"

The robot doggy squeaked happily and ran off, making that adorable sound when he walks. The parrot-dog watched him go. The group disappeared down one hallway.

"What is that thing?"

* * *

"I don't like being so near...these FILTHY worm pigs," Zim complained.

"I can see you don't have empathy in your system." Ria was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Exactly. Zim, if you want to appear more human, you need to display emotions. Being here and showing _empathy-_ say it with me- empathy, will help you. Get it? Humans show empathy, or at least the good ones. If you appear as a good human, then people will trust you."

"You've been on this planet your whole life. I choose to believe you, Ezari."

"That's-" something shot past them and tackled Zim to the ground.

"What is this?" he screamed, struggling against the weight.

"I knew you'd try to finish me off! But I'm one step ahead of you!" Dib was wearing white hospital clothes and paper slippers. "I finally win! I win!"

Zim pushed him off with his spider legs. "You shouldn't cry victory until your enemy is defeated!" The Irken soldier raised his legs to strike.

"Zim!" Ria jumped in front of Dib. "You can't!"

Although reluctantly, Zim retracted his legs. He continued to glare at his rival, who, in turn, glared back with as much intensity. But Dib's focus was soon drawn elsewhere.

"You're the alien! The one that saved me! Why did you?"

Ria pushed back her hood and took off one lens. "I don't really know. Just be grateful for my confusion."

"I-!" Dib stopped. Ria's answer wasn't what he was expecting. "Really?"

"Yeah. Now can you show us to your room?" she pulled her hood back up, keeping her hand rested on the side of her head, "You look like you have enough brains to know the way, unlike others."

"My head's not big!" Dib yelled then stomped off.

"Is it weird he brought that up unprovoked?" Ria asked the others.

"Yes! Wait a minute...no. Wait...yes!" said GIR.

"Let's follow him." The four began to follow Dib through the hall, but they didn't get far.

"There it is! Shoot it!"

A dart flew past GIR, burying itself in the wall. The robot began screaming even though it missed. Two police officers were at the end of the hall.

"What's the big idea, you human filth?" Zim shouted.

"Step away from the deadly parrot-dog!"

The Irkens began looking around at the walls and floor, trying to find the parrot-dog.

"Damn kids. It's right there!" one of the officers pointed at GIR, who was still screaming and squealing.

"That's not a-" Skoodge started to say.

GIR ran off down the hall.

"Get it!" the cops took off as well.

"GIR, get back here!" Zim started after his minion.

"Wait!" said Ria, "Zim, those were animal control police. They go after dangerous animals."

"But GIR's not dangerous," Skoodge pointed out, "Why would they be after him?"

The parrot-dog nudged at Zim's back, its mouth full of snacks.

"It's the dog thing from the TV!" Skoodge screamed.

"It looks like GIR," Zim noticed. "Those idiot human dirt monkeys must think GIR is the escaped animal."

Ria petted the parrot-dog. "But _we_ have the escaped animal."

This information sunk in before all three yelled, "GIR!"

* * *

"Why do you need my help?" Dib was holding his food tray like a shield. "Can't you do it on your own? And get the thing out of my room!"

Ria cuddled the mutant. "He's not vicious. Why the news said he was-"

"Because he's a mutant! They're unstable! Get him out before he freaks out and attacks!"

"Like you're doing?"

"Shut up!"

Zim ground his teeth. "Listen Dib beast! Just... help...us retrieve GIR. Or I'll make your disturbing head even larger!"

"My head's not big!" Dib chucked the food tray at him. Zim easily dodged the tray. "And no! I won't help you!"

"What did GIR ever do to you?" Ria asked.

"Nothing, but Zim tried to burn me alive, so I'm not helping."

"But _I_ saved you. You owe me this!"

Dib glared at her, enraged by the fact that he owed his life to her. _If I give in, it shows my gratitude, even though I'll be helping my enemy. But if I don't_, _I'll doom the robot-dog-thingy and he never did me any harm. This sucks. Okay, let's think this through. The little alien is asking for a favor, if I focus more on repaying her and not helping Zim, then I won't feel guilty about betraying myself._

"Alright, I'll help you. But keep that thing back!" he pointed at the parrot-dog.

Ria petted the mutant again. "He's okay, just keep feeding him chips. He likes Cheetos." She paused for a moment, "Can I borrow a dollar?"

* * *

The parrot-dog was in position. It was sitting at the end of the longest hallway the group could find. GIR's screams reverberated off the walls, but he still seemed to be a long way off. Ria was positioned with Dib in one of the branch halls, with Zim and Skoodge in the branch hallway across from them. They had made sure to clear out any innocent bystanders. Surprisingly, everyone had been calm even with the knowledge of a dangerous creature stalking the halls. Meh, half of them had little time left to live anyway, they didn't care.

"Zim," Ria called softly, "Contact GIR and tell him to come down this hall. Dib and I have the rope around the parrot-dog and have it looped around the corners and into our hall. When GIR runs down this hall, you two will grab him and run. The cops will see the parrot-dog and run to get it. We'll pull it around and then meet up with you."

"I say we just let them take it," Dib muttered.

Ria punched him in the stomach, causing Zim and Skoodge to stifle snorts of laughter. Zim pulled out the transmitter, still biting his lip to keep his laughter in. "GIR! Follow the signal from my PAK and come here. We have a plan."

GIR'S screams became louder and more comprehensible. "I'm runnin', I'm runnin'!"

"Apparently he's running," said Ria.

"Get ready," Dib whispered.

GIR all but shot past, barely giving Skoodge and Zim a chance to grab him and run. The officers opened fire on the parrot-dog, putting bullet holes in the wall behind it. Ria and Dib grabbed the rope and tugged hard. The parrot-dog slid out of sight from the officers. They continued down the hall, but the smeet and boy had successfully pulled the parrot-dog to them and ran off.

* * *

The old woman lying in the bed smiled at Ria. "My dear, there's something I want you to know."

"Yes Mrs. Toof?"

"I'm not going to live much longer, and I don't want you coming here after today."

Ria gasped. "But why?"

"You need to move on with your life with your new family." The woman looked up at Zim, Skoodge, GIR, Dib, and the parrot-dog in the doorway. "Don't waste your time on me."

"But I want to."

"For me, my last wish, don't come back to see me. Live a happy life with your brothers. You should probably get him checked-in, that skin disease looks bad."

"Is it really what you want?"

"Yes dear."

"Then I won't come back." Ria turned to the group still in the door. "Let's go. Goodbye Mrs. Toof."

"Hey," said Dib as they walked down the hall, "I never got your name."

"Ezari, but call me Ria."

Zim 'hmphed' and looked away.

Dib stopped outside his room. "I...guess... um...thanks for saving my life." He went inside and shut the door.

"I feel good about today," said Skoodge.

"This didn't turn out like I planned," said Ria, "but I guess anything goes. C'mon Xan."

Zim jerked to a halt. "Xan? What do you speak of?"

"The parrot-dog. He's obviously not dangerous. Besides, he could be useful."

Zim put his hand to his chin in thought. "Yesssss. It could be a useful experiment, to study Earth animals."

"It's not a natural...okay."

The group walked out the front door, no one noticing the parrot-dog leaving with them. As they made their way out of the parking lot, the sounds of the officers screaming was heard.

"I just realized something."

"What's that Skoodge?"

"Mrs. Toof's name is 'foot' spelled backwards."

Ria face palmed.

"Can we get ice-cream?" said GIR, "I want chocolate bubblegum."


	8. Lockdown

Lockdown

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The television show went to commercial.

"They've done it again! Clean the crud out of your ears and listen up! Stop playing your old Game Slave 2 and glue your eyes to this screen! Who cares about the damage of sitting that close to the TV? The NEW Game Slave 3 is coming to a mall near you! Pick up yours tomorrow!"

* * *

Ria used her spider legs to climb into the vent. She then turned to pick up GIR and Xan from the ground.

"What we doing here?" GIR asked.

"Shush! We need supplies to make Xan's disguise. We just need to hide his wings. And I don't have any more money. So we're stealing."

"Okay!"

Xan crawled on all fours down the vent. His feathered tail waved back and forth.

"Sniff around for air Xan," said Ria, "We'll go through the next grate."

As soon as she said it, Xan fell through the next grate. A crashing sound of him and the metal hitting the ground seemed to echo.

"And another one bites the dust. C'mon GIR."

The smeet dropped, using her spider legs to take the blow of hitting the ground. GIR just simply fell. The sound of him hitting the ground also echoed around the large building. The mall was eerily empty and quiet.

"I don't like this. There's always an eerie quietness before something bad happens. Or the creepy music plays in the background. It's simple knowledge." She looked around, at the stores, at the cameras, at every doorway. Nothing. "Where's that psychotic security guard who takes his job waaaaaaaay too seriously? Zim said he had a run in with him once." She bent down and picked up the grate. She dropped it again, listening to the echo. "Nothing. Okay, let's go."

The trio each took one step. The alarms blared loudly.

"Aw man!" Ria kicked the floor.

"We meet again. I thought that our last meeting would have knocked some sense into your head."

Ria's antennae pricked upward at the sound of the voice over the intercom. "Nope, not in my head. My bones are still smarting. Thanks for dumping me in the gutter, I caught the flu. Look Slab, I just need a few things for my new pet. Let me get them, then I'll leave."

"Not a chance!"

Ria folded her arms. "I thought this would go civilized. I'm not alone this time, I'm not defenseless."

"But you're still ignorant." The floor opened up underneath them. All three shrieked as they fell into the concrete cell.

"Why do I keep forgetting that?" Ria's voice echoed from below.

* * *

They landed in a pile on the hard floor.

"This is new." Ria got up and brushed herself off. "Last time he just brutalized and kicked the shit out before dumping me outside."

A girl was leaning against the wall. She had purple hair and wore a black jacket.

"Hello," Ria waved her fingers.

"Isn't that Zim's dog?"

"Yeah, that's GIR. I'm Zim's...sister."

"I didn't know aliens could have siblings."

"So you know? Who are you?"

"I'm Gaz, Dib's sister...unfortunately."

"Why are you here?"

"I snuck in to buy a Game Slave 3."

"But they release tomorrow, why come now?"

"Because I've been through that before. I was going to leave money on the counter. Then this guy freaks out and now I'm down here."

"That guy is Slab Rankle...he's gonna pay once I get out of here."

"You're malicious...I like that. What did he do?"

"Beat me up. I was just gonna get some things for Xan, but now Slab's doubled my hatred of him. That misdeed cannot go unpunished." Ria's antennae shot up. "Wanna help?"

Gaz seemed to think it through, though it was hard to tell since she never opens her eyes. "Sure. You seem okay, not insane or a whiner like Zim and the other one."

"Great! I'll get us out of here." Ria's extended her spider legs. "You're familiar with Irken technology, aren't you?"

"I've flown some ships, used some communicators, played around using the robot as a control, even used a weapon."

"Good. Xan, use your claws and climb up the chute. GIR, did you empty your jet fuel?"

"Maaaaaybe."

"Yes or no."

"Yes...wait a minute, no."

"Then fly up after Xan. We'll come up last."

"Yes my little lord!" he said in duty mode.

* * *

"Ahh, another intruder taken care of." Slab Rankle surveyed the many screens. "No one escapes...minus that green kid. And I technically dumped the little jacket girl outside. Maybe I should crunch some numbers- WHAT!" The monitor showed first the parrot-dog, then the green dog, then the jacket girl with his earlier prisoner climbing out of the chute. "So, they think they can simply walk out of here? I'll prove them wrong."

* * *

"Is it me, or are these things the most incompetent creatures on Earth?" said Ria.

"I'm having fun." Gaz was using GIR as a bowling ball and was rolling him at the zombies. They would fall easily and a few would fall _apart._

"I guess it's fun. How many is that Xan?"

The parrot-dog was chalking down the strikes. He then screeched five times.

"Nice, not a single one missed."

More zombies converged, stupidly walking into each other and _around_ their supposed targets. Ria turned to Gaz. "I'm getting bored. Wanna find Slab then get your game?"

"Sure, why not. Just a second." She grabbed zombie head. "This is what I want to do to my brother's oversized head." She chucked it hard, knocking over entire rows of zombies. "I'm content."

* * *

Xan sat on the moving banister of the escalator. Ria had a crowbar rested against her shoulder. No one spoke throughout the ride up the escalator, to the elevator, up to the upper levels.

"You gonna kill him?" Gaz asked her new companion.

"No...I'm not that violent, though I am prone to flashes. I think it comes from the fact that I'm a Defective."

"Defective?"

"My PAK," Ria patted the object through her jacket, "actually sorta fixed me. It did the opposite. A Defective Irken is determined by their PAK, I am an Auto-Defect and _my _PAK gave me sentience. But I'm still defective, so it's not complete." She paused as the elevator doors opened. "You're not gonna use what I just told you to destroy me, are you?"

"I don't care about aliens, talk to Dib about that."

"I met him, I saved his life."

"Oh yeah, he was babbling about that. Did he threaten you?"

"Not sure."

"If he does, you come to _me_. Got it?"

Ria turned her whole body to face Gaz. "Really? You don't strike me as the kind of person to make friends wherever you go. Just look at him," she pointed to GIR, who was pressed against glass, smiling down at the zombies.

"You're right about that, but you're alright. You share some of my interests, and you don't annoy me. I'll call you a...comrade."

"Thanks, now," she swung the crowbar, "let's end this."

* * *

"You did well to get this far, but you won't go any farther." Slab sat in a rolling computer chair. The monitors continued to show the zombies walking around the mall.

Ria tilted her head to the side before taking a single step forward.

"Okay you got farther. No one escapes from my mall!"

"Okay I'm tired of this. Xan," she turned to the parrot-dog, "ATTACK!"

Xan stood up on his hind legs. His teeth turned all snaggled. His claws looked menacing.

"That's cool," said Gaz.

* * *

"I enjoyed this evening." Ria had two shopping bags slung over her shoulder. Gaz was busy playing her new Game Slave 3. GIR was drinking a SuckMunkey, coughing every now and then. Xan was carrying a squeaky toy. "And now...we part."

Gaz looked up from her screen. "See you some time. Don't turn into a weirdo like Zim."

"I'll try." She turned away, then turned back. "You really take him for gr-" but Gaz was gone.

"That was weird. Okay guys let's go. Good thing Zim and Skoodge are working on the orbiting ship, or else we'd never been able to sneak out at midnight." She looked up into the sky. "How do you think that's going?"

A distinct explosion flashed in the midnight sky.

"I can _almost_ hear him screaming."


	9. Lost in the Underground

Lost in the Underground

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"You can't do this Gaz! They'll experiment on you, you're walking into their trap! They'll pluck out your eyes and eat them like candy! They'll turn you into a cyborg!"

"Cool."

"No it's not! What will Dad say?" Dib clung desperately to Gaz's jacket.

"When is he ever home long enough to pay attention to the stuff we do?"

"Don't go!"

Gaz slammed the door, listening to her insane brother's screams continue inside the house.

* * *

"I need all of you to pay attention!" Zim marched up and down the line which consisted of Xan, GIR, and Minimoose. "Computer! You listen too!"

"Fine." Computer sounded exasperated with everything.

"The Dib-sibling is coming here to watch over Ezari while Skoodge and I go back to the orbiting ship to work repairs for my latest ingenious plan. If the human tries anything, destroy her. I don't care how, just stop her. Do you understand these words Zim speaks of?"

Xan squawked, Minimoose squeaked, GIR turned around and sat in front of the television.

Ria walked in carrying something. "Look what I got. It's a camera, we can take pictures of all the stuff we do for the future."

"The Dib-sibling will be here soon. Don't destroy anything."

"I'll try not to." Ria held up the camera to the light. "Shouldn't you extend that warning to GIR as well? He does more damage than me."

"Silence! Use this," he tossed a hand-held communicator at her, "if there's any trouble. It'll reach us at the ship."

"M'kay."

The doorbell rang. Zim made the door transparent to see who it was before opening. "Greetings Dib-sister."

"I have a name." Gaz walked in, setting a bag down on the couch. "This is like... the third time I've been in here."

GIR ran up to her. "Hi!"

"Now to talk business. "Gaz turned to Zim. "We'll see how today goes before I name my price on my services."

Zim gritted his teeth. "Very well. Skoodge! We're leaving!"

The chubby Irken came up through one of the elevators and left with Zim.

"So," Gaz had her arms crossed, looking down at Ria, "what's there to do?"

"I got video games and snacks."

"...You're alright."

* * *

Most of the time during the day was spent playing the video games. Both the girl and the smeet had a knowledge for them and exchanged tips and hints.

"What you gotta do is jump before he ducks," said Gaz.

The two were playing some Techno Ninja game.

"I think I got it, now just-GIR!"

The robot looked up from behind the TV, wires hanging from his mouth. The explosion wasn't much, but enough to knock both Gaz and Ria back into the couch. Both fell into the cushions, unharmed apparently.

"Well...that was fun. You okay?" Gaz asked, kicking GIR aside.

Ria slipped off the couch. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just-*gasp*!"

"What is it?"

Ria's jacket hood had been split in half, exposing much of her back...her _bare_ back. "My PAK's gone!"

GIR, unaware of the horrible situation, was running around with Minimoose held above his head. He opened the door and ran outside.

"Wait of minute," said Gaz. She dragged Ria to the door. "Look at the moose."

GIR was circling the open sewer hole. Construction workers had been there earlier, but had now left. He continued screaming and laughing, holding Minimoose high above his head. Minimoose had Ria's PAK attached to him!

The smeet leapt out the door. "GIR! Put Minimoose down!"

The robot stopped, and promptly dropped Minimoose into the sewer.

"Noooo!"

Gaz ran inside to get the communicator while Ria circled the sewer hole herself. "Zim!"

"What?" his voice said from the other side of the communicator.

"Zim, you bug eyed freak, get back down here! The moose thingy has Ria's PAK and your screw-balled robot just dunked into down the sewer. Hello?"

Sounds of screaming and scrambling over something was heard in the receiver.

"Worthless pile of sh-"

"Gaz!" Ria ran back into the house, "We have to go get it! My lifeclock!"

"Does Zim have any protected clothing? I'm not going down there without some."

"I'm sure he does! Computer!" she was all but screaming now. "Help us!"

What looked like radiation suits dropped from the ceiling. They threw them on, not bothering to dress GIR. He was probably dirtier than the sewer anyway. The suits were yellow full-body suits with large boots, gloves, tight-fitting hoods, and goggles.

"Now I look and feel as much of a freak as my brother," Gaz complained. She pulled out a stopwatch. "What's your lifeclock at? We'll sync it."

Ria shut her eyes. "Nine minutes, five seconds."

Gaz set the timer on the watch. "When it beeps, it's all over."

"Great-great-great, let's go! Xan! Stay here! Computer, tell Zim where we've gone when he gets back!"

"Affirmative."

Gaz and Ria ran out to the sewer hole. Ria kicked GIR right in before climbing down the ladder. Once she was in the filthy water, she looked back up the ladder for Gaz. "It's clear!"

"I know." The girl was already down with her.

"How did you do that?"

She didn't answer, she simply pulled out a flashlight and hung the watch around her neck. The light revealed scum and...other things...surrounding them on the walls. The smells was horrible. There were dripping noises further down the pipes. GIR was splashing in the water, singing to himself.

"Minimoose!" Ria called. The call echoed at least seven times.

"Who is it?" GIR all but screamed, just to hear it answer back.

"Should we split up?" the smeet asked her babysitter.

"Nah, you don't know what's down here. In fact, you don't _want _to know what's down here."

"What's down here?"

Gaz sort of glared down at her. "Horrible things."

The poor smeet left it at that. She began walking down the pipe, her worry growing desperate. "When Zim comes back, do you think he'll help? He...he doesn't really like me."

"Zim doesn't like anything."

"I know but...you don't think he'd let me...die, do you?"

"I don't know what passes through his little mind."

The pipe sloped drastically, almost a vertical leap with the water going into a waterfall. The trio jumped down. At least it wasn't a long drop, but the water down below was almost knee-deep. Ria gagged in disgust but continued along.

"Minimoose! Squeaky squeak-squeak!"

"Nubs!" GIR called.

The pipe went into a fork. Gaz shined her flashlight down each way. No sounds passed between any of them. Ria started into the one on the right. Then she disappeared.

"Hey!" Gaz shouted. The water had sped up dramatically, knocking her off her feet and down into the pipe-slide. Thankfully, the pipes didn't slope enough to make a true waterfall, but everything about it was disgusting. Coasting down sewer pipe...*shudder*. Both rose to their feet at the bottom of the slide, only to be knocked over by GIR.

"You little-!" Gaz started.

"Wait!" Ria interrupted. "Minimoose!"

The moose, still wearing Ria's PAK, was floating on the other side of this large room under the ground. Street to be more precise, according to the noises from above.

"Squeak!" said the moose.

"Stay there!" Ria jumped into waist-deep water and started over.

Gaz reached out and yanked her back.

"Hey!"

"We're not alone." The surface of the water rippled. A crocodile head poked out, its eyes glaring hungrily at them.

Ria let out a scream of frustration. "What the hell is wrong with this planet?" She sighed deeply. "We'll just have to play hopscotch." She leapt onto the first crocodile's head. It snapped its maw but she hung tight. Other heads began popping up through the water, moving toward the distressed croc and his supposed dinner. A large explosion echoed around the room. Zim and Skoodge, both on spider legs, ascended from the ceiling.

"Skoodge! Get Minimoose and the PAK! I'll get the sewer lizards!" said Zim.

Skoodge detached the PAK from Minimoose and Zim readied a spider leg laser, but as this happened, a sound seemed to make time stop. It was a beeping sound. It was the timer watch around Gaz's neck.

Ria's ten minutes were up. And yet...

The smeet jumped successfully to where Skoodge was. She took her PAK and held it close to her chest, hugging it actually.

"What is that noise and what does it mean?" Zim shouted.

Gaz's arms hung loosely at her sides. "The beeping means ten minutes. But...you guys die after ten minutes without your PAKs."

Ria sniffed lightly, tears streaming down her face. "But I don't."

* * *

"I don't know what it is...but I can survive without my PAK. I don't suffer from any losses of body or mind. I just lose my weapons and such, but I _can_ live without the PAK."

They were all inside Zim's base once more. Zim had immediately tossed GIR into an acid bath, and had the radiation suits burned.

The Irken 'Invader' shuddered. "It's so unnatural! An Ikren who can live without their PAK. It...it doesn't make sense!"

Ria placed her PAK back where it belonged. "I don't know why, all I know is that it's a way I can't die."

Zim shuddered again. "Now...Dib-sibling, what are your demands?"

Gaz seemed to give it a little thought. "...nothing."

"What?"

"I charge nothing. I'll hang with Ria, not babysit her. The company of someone intelligent is nice. See ya." She abruptly left without another word.

Ria swayed on her feet. "I'm gonna go lie down."


	10. The Insignia

The Insignia

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

_Soon I will have my revenge. He will pay for everything he's done to me. He will suffer, screw taking his mission, I just want to see him squirm. _

_

* * *

_Ria organized her new collection of video games. Soon Gaz would be over to help her break them in. As humans go, she was closest thing she called friend. And it was probably the same the other way. Although she doubted Gaz would, out loud, call anyone friend, she obviously favored the smeet. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. Zim and Skoodge were who knows where and she didn't care. She didn't mind them being gone a lot...most of the time. There was some feeling deep inside her squeedly spooch. A feeling of loneliness despite the company she now had with her own kind. She didn't know what is was and why is was there. It had been almost unbearable before she had met Skoodge and Zim, so there was _something _that was still missing. She had taken up a few test hobbies to try to fill the void. None really worked out except one. Two flower pots in the windowsill with rose plants not yet green, but were prospering. She found the simple pleasure of caring for a little life very relaxing. She had seen roses in store windows before and adored them. Skoodge had gotten the plants for her. She did everything that the internet said to do-

*knock knock*

Ria turned to face the door. That was very odd. Gaz never knocked when she came over. She usually just teleported inside. So...if it wasn't Gaz, then who was it? The smeet padded over to the door. She had never quite figured out how to do the see-through thing, but she figured it didn't matter. She opened the door and peered around the edge. She was violently thrown back as the door was shoved aside. She landed on her back, groaning from the slight pain of the impact.

"Zim? Where are you? You're gonna pay! And it's not revenge!"

Ria sat up, regarding her visitor. An Irken female with angled antennae and amethyst eyes. She was taller than Zim, but not by much. She had some weird implant on the side of her head and wore a purple version of the Irken uniform. Strange indeed. A female of her species.

"Hello?" she said softly. This female was angry, best not piss her off even more. "May I help you?"

The female turned to the smeet, her accidental victim. Dark purple met golden brown. "Who the hell are you?" she spat.

"Ezari, you can call me Ria and I-"

"Shut up! Where's Zim?"

The smeet crossed her arms and glared. "You could say you're sorry for knocking me over."

The female seemed to truly notice her victim sitting on the floor. "You're a smeet...how...why are you _here_?"

"That's what I want to know. All I get from my defective PAK is sapphire eyes...cool, right? But it doesn't help with my questions in life. Crappy memories."

"You're defective?" the female said slowly. "An...Auto-Defect?"

"Defect from birth, yes. My name is Ezari, but I took the 'ri' and added an 'a' to make Ria. I live with Zim and Skoodge, and with Xan, Minimoose, and GIR...oh! and Computer. Wait...you're looking for Zim, right? I don't know where he is right now, but if you wait with me, he'll show up sooner or later. Gaz is coming over to play video games. You can play too! Wanna see my roses?"

The female was slowly advancing. "An Auto-Defect...illegal to harbor...death penalty."

Ria got up from the floor and began backing away. "C-can I help you?"

"Yes, you can help me in the greatest way possible. It's illegal to harbor your kind, and Zim is doing just that. No trial, the death penalty. You're coming with me."

Xan hurdled out of the kitchen and straight for the female. He was snarling and his claws dug into the floor, leaving little trenches. He launched himself at the female. She smirked. "Dumb animal!" She threw a swift kick under his chin. Xan's head was thrown back, instantly knocking him unconscious. He fell to the floor with a loud thump.

"Computer! Intruder!" Ria was terrified. This fear was incredible. Whoever this female was, she was viscous.

The wires and arms dropped from the ceiling, but it was futile. Spider legs kept the arms back with ease.

"GIR! Minimoose! Someone!"

The female grabbed Ria by the hood and held her above the floor. "You're coming with me to the Massive. The Tallest will be most pleased to know they can finally get rid of that pest!" She threw her fist against Ria's head. Darkness overtook the poor smeet, but not before the female's voice was blocked out. "My name is Tak, remember it."

* * *

"That can't be good." Gaz looked at the ruins of the strange green house. The front was blasted open, the gnomes disabled. Gaz walked among the rubble. The TV was shattered and the couch was torn to shreds. It looked like GIR had been on a sugar high. There were strange markings burned into the floor, along with the insignia that she saw once around the underground lab, only it looked slightly different. "Ria? What happened?" she called.

She was answered with silence.

"Okay. Floating moose, robot dog, green dog, computer thing! What the hell is going on?"

"Hi!" GIR popped up from the rubble. "The purple lady was here! It's always fun when she comes 'round!"

"The purple lady? Where's Ria?"

He suddenly started sobbing. "I can't find her! I look and look and look and look but she nowhere! N-NOWHERE!" Then he stopped and smiled cheerfully. "Maybe she playing hide-and-seek! Ri-Ri! I gonna find you!"

Gaz ignored him. "Computer? Do you have security videos?" There was no answer. "Hello?" She growled in frustration. "Great." She routed through the rubble to find the communicator. "Zim!"

"What?"

"Get your ass back to what's left of your house! Ria's gone, your house is destroyed, Computer's not responding, GIR's insane, and I can't read the stuff on the floor." The responding hiss immediately told her he was on his way. She looked back at the markings in the floor. That insignia was so familiar. She knew she had seen it before, but where? Wait. She quickly found the phone and dialed her own house. "Dib! Come to Zim's house."

"I can't right now Gaz! The Dibship is missing and I need to find it!"

That was it! The insignia was on Dib's stupid ship! _Tak's_ ship! "Get-down-here- NOW!"

"Alright!" he sounded terrified. Good.

* * *

"Can you read it?"

Dib traced his hands along the markings. "No, but this _is_ Irken writing. And that is definitely Tak's insignia. It's on the Dibship and on the wienie stand. Once Zim get's here, we'll know what it says. Now, about the Computer." The boy ran his fingers on some of the broken wires that had fallen from what was left of the roof. "He's fried. I don't know if he's coming back. Hey! It's the mutant!" He shook Xan's still form roughly. The parrot dog opened his eyes and leapt to his feet.

"Dumb animal!"

Dib reeled back. "That sounds like Tak! He's imitating Tak! Although, it does make sense. He is half parrot."

"Dumb animal! Dumb animal!" he rubbed his bruised chin. "Dumb animal!"

The Voot crashed through the rest of the ceiling. Zim immediately climbed out, the shock and horror evident on his face.

"My...my...my beautiful base!" He pulled at his antennae and screamed loudly. Suddenly he looked at the two humans, his eyes filled with rage. "What happened? Dib-stink! You did this!"

"No I didn't! Tak did!"

Zim froze. "Tak? But Zim abandoned her space!"

"Just look." Dib pointed to the Irken writing burned into the floor.

Zim looked it over, his hand on his chin in thought.

"What does it say?" Gaz asked.

" 'Zim, you will pay for everything you've done to me. I've captured your house guest and are taking her to the Tallest. The penalty for hiding an Auto-Defect is death. I'm sure they will be pleased.' " He viciously dug the toe of his boot into the insignia. "That troublesome female!"

"We're going after her."

Everyone in the room turned to Gaz. "What?" said Zim.

"That kid is one of the few things on this planet I actually like. We're getting her back!"

"Of course! Zim will be killed if we do not retrieve her!"

"Can't you think of anyone but yourself? Even I'm willing to go into stupid space to rescue Ria."

Zim opened the floor into the labs. The spare Voot came up through the hole. "Dib-stink! You're with me and GIR in the Voot. Dib-sister, go with Skoodge and Xan in the spare. Minimoose!" The moose floated from the hole in the floor. "Stay here. Computer is down, so Zim needs you to protect the base."

"Squeak!"

"Hurry up!" Gaz was already in the spare, ready to go.

The two Voots rose from the ground and shot into deep space. The rescue had begun.


	11. A Call for Help

A Call for Help

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Even to simply open her eye hurt badly enough to quickly shut it once more. Ria groaned in pain. The punch to the head had knocked her unconscious for who knows how long. But, judging by the feeling of movement, she guessed she was in a ship. She heard the clanking of robot feet. The smeet braved the intense pain and opened her eyes. A SIR unit, a strange one at that, was pacing in front of her. No, _guarding_ her. She sat up, hissing from the pain. The SIR unit was immediately wary.

"MiMi, is she awake?"

The SIR unit turned and saluted. The female Irken, Tak was her name, stepped away from the controls and in front of Ria.

"Welcome smeet. Enjoy the trip and the view, cause you won't survive at the end."

"Why?"

"You're an Auto-Defect. When your kind is born, each is supposed to be immediately destroyed. Your kind is a failure."

"But I'm Irken just like you."

"No, you're defective, not just that, an Auto-Defect. They're worse because they themselves are defective, not their PAKs. You were supposed to be killed as soon as you were born. Why you weren't, I'm sure the Tallest would love to investigate. Enjoy your stay."

Ria glared at her captor.

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"You bet your weird accent I do! You kicked my dog!"

Tak pushed her over. "Deal with it. You'll never see it again."

* * *

The communicator was kept on between the Voots so they could speak back and forth.

"Let me drive! I know how!"

"Silence human!"

"Dib shut up!"

"I like muffins!"

"What's going on?"

"Everyone SHUT UP!"

"Hey," said Skoodge, "I'm picking up a distress signal from that planet."

Zim looked over the controls of his Voot. Indeed, there was a signal coming from the planet they were passing. According to the scanners, it was a barren planet, no lifeforms, nothing. Except two PAK signals.

"Maybe it's Ria and Tak," said Dib.

Zim thought it through. "MiMi's signal isn't there, although, Tak might have abandoned her after she broke down and destroyed the ship. But what Irken would leave their SIR?"

There was a hissing silence from the other end.

"Sorry Skoodge," Zim said sincerely. Skoodge's SIR unit, Chipz, had been destroyed during an attack from a giant planet-hugging alien named Squishy. Though Zim regularly expressed his annoyance and dislike for GIR, he couldn't imagine life without him anymore.

"S'alright. Should we investigate the signal?"

"Maybe it could be Ezari and Tak."

"I say we go for it," said Gaz. She yanked Skoodge away from the controls and started toward the planet.

"Stupid human worm!" Zim snarled. He directed the ship after them.

The planet's surface was a wasteland of nothing, except a rock every few miles. So the crash site was easy to find. A deep trench that led across yards of the land before stopping where the ship lay. Two ships actually, both were wrecked. A small fire was burning between the wrecks. Zim and Skoodge landed the Voots.

"Let's be careful," said Skoodge. "At least there's breathable oxygen."

All six of them climbed out and approached the fire. No one was there, but footprints were evident.

"Hello?" Dib called out.

"Foolish dirt monkey!" Zim pounced on him. "Don't call out until we know the situation."

"But that's the Irken symbol!" Dib managed to work his arm free and point at the insignias on both ships.

There was a clattering noise. Everyone was alert. A wrench flew over the side of one of the ships and struck Skoodge in the head. He fell with a loud thump and didn't move.

"Hey!" Zim shouted.

"I'd recognize that irritating voice anywhere!" said whoever was on the other side. A head popped up. A female Irken with magenta eyes.

"Invader Tenn!"

"Hey! I was right! Come out, he won't kill us."

Zee poked her head out from inside one of the ships. She looked each person over before climbing out completely. "What the hell are those things?" she pointed to Gaz and Dib.

"Humans," Zim answered. "What happened here?"

Tenn slid down the side of her ship. "I was found out on planet Meekrob because of a shipment of malfunctioning SIR units. The Tallest sent some fighters to distract the Meekorb long enough for me to escape. But my ship broke down here, so I sent out a distress signal. Zee answered it, but once she came within communicator distance, she was shot down by an unknown force. We've been here ever since. Let me thank you for answering our call. Can you take us to the Massive?"

"That's actually where we're going," said Dib.

"It talks!" Zee shouted.

"Silence Dib-stink! You will never set foot on the Massive!" said Zim.

Skoodge sat up and rubbed the bump on his head. "What happened?"

Zee let out a shriek of laughter and picked up the fallen wrench. A tremble ran through her body from her feet to her head.

"What's wrong with her antennae?" Dib asked.

They were twitching and trembling, even though her body wasn't anymore. "Sorry," said Zee, "I have SAF."

"SAF?"

"Sporadic Antennae Failure. They have constant seizures that don't affect me. I can't stop them. Are you a male or female?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Your voice suggests male."

"Why...fine, I'm male."

"Very nice. Why is that one glaring at me?" she pointed to Gaz, who was, indeed, glaring.

"We're looking for two Irkens," Skoodge explained, "she thought your signals might have been theirs."

Tenn helped him to his feet. "Why are you looking for them?"

"Cause Tak kidnapped Ria!" Gaz shouted.

"Who's Ria and why would Tak want to steal her? Tak was on planet Dirt."

"Do piggies live there?" GIR asked.

"What?"

"Be quiet!" Zim yelled. "Let Zim tell the story! I was doing my mission, Skoodge lives in my basement, Ezari showed up one day, Tak stole her and is using her to kill me, we left Earth to find them, we found you instead!"

"Bummer." Zee twirled the wrench with her fingers. "Let's get going." She walked over to the Voots and climbed in.

Zim turned to Tenn. "I guess we don't have a choice. Just don't touch anything that's mine!"

"This is gonna be painful."

* * *

Ria was curled up as far away from Tak as she could get. That female had hurt Xan, and now, she was going to be the cause of the poor smeet's death. Yet, she found she couldn't bring herself to hate Tak.

"Why do you hate Zim?"

Tak turned to look at her. "What?"

"Why do you hate Zim?"

"Because he ruined my life!"

"But you hate him enough to want to see him die?"

"Now I do."

"Please reconsider."

Tak bared her teeth. "I understand you are simply an innocent bystander in this situation, but blame the one who let you live and come into this problem."

_Blame the sapphire eyes?_ Ria looked past Tak and into deep space. _Zim, I hope you care enough to save me._

* * *

I don't know if Chipz was supposed to die or not, but I incorporated that into the story. Also, Sporadic Antennae Failure is a made up condition. _  
_


	12. Docking Bay

Docking Bay

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Nothing could compare to the majesty and fear the Massive showed. A giant spaceship just lazily floating in space. Ria stared in awe at the size. She had heard from Zim that it was big, but she didn't know _that_ big. That size, to her, had seemed impossible. It looked bigger than any human structure she'd seen. Of course, with nothing to hold it down, the Massive could be as big as it wanted to be.

"You're taking me there?" there was no fear in the smeet's voice now.

"Yes, impressive, isn't it?"

"Very."

The two had settled to at least not hating each other. Ria asked several questions, her excuse being she wanted to know as much as she could about the Empire before she died, and Tak answered them all, feeling she owed the smeet at least the pleasure of knowledge. MiMi didn't talk at all, she didn't have a mouth. As their vessel got closer, the smaller ships surrounding the Massive blocked them.

"Who goes there?"

"I am Tak, Irken, I come to see the Tallest."

They heard laughter over the communicator. "She comes to see the Tallest!"

"I have something they will definitely want to see."

"And what could it possible be?"

"Something that will terminate Zim without a trial."

There was a pause. "R-really?"

"Yes. No trial, immediate death penalty. What he's done has been a law since the cloning process began."

"Are you sure? It'll work, right?"

"There's no getting around this."

"Head straight for any docking bay, I'll tell the guards not to stop or check you. Nothing to hinder this action. Go straight to the Tallest on the bridge"

"Thanks."

The Armada cleared a path for her ship to pass through. Tak did so with a smile on her face. She was truly happy. Zim couldn't stop her. Yet she felt bad. This smeet, even though she was an Auto-Defect, was going to die because of her.

_She was meant to die in the first place._ She reminded herself.

The Spittle Runner docked in the bay alongside other ships. However, the bay was empty of people.

"C'mon," Tak helped her prisoner out, "we're going to the bridge."

Ria turned back to the ship. "Hey! This is the Dibship! I borrowed this once."

"No, it's my Spittle Runner."

A stab of grief hit Tak in the squeedly spooch. Ria was clinging to her captor's tailcoat, afraid of everything that was around her. She walked close, nearly tripping Tak every few steps.

_I'm the only one she trusts on any level here, and I'm sending her to her death. Why did Zim have to be involved? Why did he have to do it? Then she wouldn't die._

Tak, Ria, and MiMi left the bay quickly, the door sliding shut behind them. Three beings watched them leave.

"What foolish Irkens. Do you agree Klg'har?"

"Of course. We snuck right in on their ship. Let's find a place to hide. Soon the Massive will be under our control. The Irkens shall fall and the Meekrob shall rise."

* * *

"You're a crappy driver!" said Tenn. She was crammed in with Zim, GIR, and Dib. Zee was in the spare with Skoodge, Gaz, and Xan.

"Silence! At least Zim is getting us there!"

"Please talk sense. There's such words as 'I', 'my', and 'me' you know."

Dib tapped her on the shoulder. "Don't. It won't work."

"That reminds me. Why are you here? I've never seen anything like your species."

"I'm here because my sister dragged me along."

"Sis-ter? What term is that?"

"We both came from the same parents."

"Parents?"

Dib sighed deeply. "Um...like your incubation tubes. Parents are the ones who give us life. There's a mom and a dad, Gaz and I came from the same, making us siblings, brother and sister."

"Your world seems so strange. And how do you know so much about the Irken Empire?"

"Because he has nothing better to do," said Zim.

"Take that back!"

"Never!"

"The Massive!" Zee had to scream into the communicator just to make herself heard.

There it was, the pride of the Empire, with hundreds of ships milling about.

"How are we supposed to get through?" said Skoodge. "They'll want to check us."

"Move," Tenn pushed Zim away from the controls. "Zee you take control of the spare. We're going aboard."

"Halt! State your business." A Spittle Runner was in front of them.

The others ducked their heads to avoid being actually seen.

Tenn saluted. "Invader Tenn and Invader Zee requesting permission to go aboard the Massive."

"My sensors indicate there are more PAK signals in there with you."

"Those are the PAKs of our fallen comrades. We couldn't save them, but we brought back their PAKs to give to the Control Brains."

"Hmm..."

"He's not gonna believe us," Dib whispered.

"Quiet," Zim kicked him.

"Alright. Report to the medical bay to turn over the PAKs."

"Yes sir." The two Voots continued along.

"I can't believe that worked!" said Dib, starting to get up from the floor.

"Stay down! They could still catch us!"

Zim kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to yell and collapse.

"We're almost there, just stay calm," Tenn reassured them.

As soon as they docked, Zim leapt out. A group of three Irkens just left, leaving the bay deserted. Dib started climbing out, but Zim pushed him back in. "You will not behold the majesty of the Massive!" He looked around. "I don't see Tak's ship!"

Gaz climbed out of the spare. "Then let's look at other bays until we find it. We're not leaving until we do."

Tenn and Zee stood next to each other, watching the rest of their rescue party. "Thanks for getting us here," said Zee. "I hope you find your friend."

"We have to!" said Skoodge. "She's only a smeet!"

Both females gasped. "Only a smeet?" said Tenn. "Tak kidnapped a smeet?"

"Smeets are protected by Irken law," Zee stated. "I want to help."

"Me too."

Dib climbed back out before Zim could push him back in. "I'm a part of this too, you jerk!"

"Great," said Zim. "Let's go."

The group left the bay.


	13. Blazing Brawl

Blazing Brawl

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The rescue group had split up. Gaz stuck with Skoodge and Dib went with Tenn and Zee. The humans didn't know the set of the Massive, so they stayed with those who did. There were a total of five docking bays, all located in the lower sections of the Massive. They regrouped in their bay.

"We found it!" said Zee. "Tak's Spittle Runner is in bay 3. But she isn't there, nor your smeet friend."

"Damn it!" Zim yelled. "She's already gone to the Tallest! We must hurry!"

They ended up knocking over some pilots on their break. Irkens were randomly in the halls, shocked to see Zim himself running past them with his odd pack of Irkens, mutant, robot, and two aliens they'd never seen before.

"I'll go this way!" Skoodge went down a branch hall.

* * *

Ria began to feel despair weighing her down. Enough that Tak had to hold her up and drag her along. Back on Earth, Ria had dreamed of dying and leaving the cruel world behind. But after she met Zim and Skoodge, she had found purpose. Now she was going to die, and she found she didn't want to. The smeet ripped her arm out of Tak's grip, shocked to realize the amethyst female wasn't holding tightly.

"Hey!"

Ria took off down the hall, fear empowering her to move like never before. Her long sleeves trailed on both sides, but they became her downfall. Literally. Ria tripped on one and slid the rest of the way down the hall. Tak grabbed her by the throat.

"Tak!"

The female turned, Ria held in hostage position with a gun against her head. There he was, Zim, along with Gaz, Dib, GIR, that mutant dog she kicked, and two other Irkens, Tenn and Zee.

"It's over! Release Ezari!"

The entire group advanced closer.

Tak glared. "Tenn, Zee, if you uphold any Irken law, you'll help me."

Zee's antennae started trembling again. "But...females are more protective of smeets! Why would you want to hurt one?"

"Because as soon as the Tallest see this Auto-Defect, they'll have Zim sentenced to death."

Zim growled. "The Tallest would never do that!"

An explosion echoed from above. Skoodge dropped through the ceiling, smoke trailed behind him. "...I'm okay!"

Tak looked at him. "Ugh, males." Then she shrieked as Gaz through GIR at her. Ria, freed from her grasp, ran off.

"Keep running Ezari!" Zim shouted after her. "Run and hide! We'll find you later!"

Tak trained her gun on Zim.

* * *

The poor smeet was terrified. She ducked into the closest room and hid in the darkest corner. She buried her head in her sleeves and started sobbing. Everything was bad. She was millions of miles from the only planet she knew and Zim was being injured to protect her. She wiped her eyes, looking around her safe room. There were bits and pieces of armor and space suits.

"Now this is interesting." She looked through different pieces, finding parts that looked as though they'd fit her. "I'll help you Zim, I won't let you fight alone."

The smeet zipped her jacket back up after she was done and exited the room. She took off down a different hall, hoping to make her way around and surprise them. She collided with something solid, yet alive.

"Well, well, this is interesting."

* * *

Zim and Tak were fighting with their spider legs, trying to stab the other. Zee, Tenn, and Skoodge each had pulled out a gun, but wouldn't use them while Zim was so close to Tak. MiMi focused her own weapons on Zim, so the trio quickly shifted to her as their target. Dib strained to hold Xan in place. The mutant was still enraged by Tak's kick.

"Give up Zim! Once I beat you, I'll find that smeet! You won't escape your death this time!"

"Shut up Tak-beast!"

Their spider legs seemed to be fighting instead of them. They stabbed and blocked and entangled. The two Irkens were head to head. Tak suddenly raked her claws across Zim's forehead. The male grunted in pain as blood poured over his eyes, but he continued to fight. Tak through the blinded Zim back.

"Stop this! We don't want blood staining the halls."

Everyone looked to the hall entrance.

"My Tallest!" all the Irkens cried.

Tallest Red and Purple stood, er...floated, in the hall. Both seemed bored, yet annoyed. Red was holding a short length of rope in his hand.

Tak immediately approached them. "My Tallest, I have brought a prisoner that would give Zim his immediate death, but he let her escape."

"We know about your prisoner," said Tallest Red.

"Y-you do?"

"Of course, she's right here."

Ria looked around Red's head. She was sitting on top of his PAK. She slid off and held the other end of the rope. It seemed confusing at first, but it then made sense. It was physically impossible for the two to hold hands. A lollipop stick was poking out of Ria's mouth.

"My Tallest, that is an Auto-Defect."

"We know, she told us everything."

"Then you're going to sentence Zim?" she asked eagerly.

"You don't know the true story of the Auto-Defects, do you?"

"Yeah, do you? Huh? Huh?" said Purple.

Tak turned to look at her fellow Irkens. They all stared back blankly, except Zim, he glared daggers. "No, my Tallest."

"And you wouldn't." Red waved his hand. "The secret was kept so that they wouldn't be taken control of. When the cloning process first began, a special DNA strip was placed in the banks. This strip held bio-engineered DNA to make ultimate weapons out of a few chosen smeets. However, the first batch was a complete failure. Thus, any smeet born with that DNA was labeled as an Automatic Defective and was destroyed upon birth. However, the strip could not be taken from the banks, so it still showed up in smeets today. But what you don't know, is that after many years, the DNA corrected itself naturally. The smeets _did_ become what they were meant to be. But they were still killed off because the Empire had no use for them."

"What are you going to do with Ria?" Skoodge asked.

"The Empire _does _need her now. She is an ultimate weapon and we need her to fight. Our enemies are growing stronger. Enemies that can actually cuase damage."

Ria let go of the rope and rushed over to Zim. She used her sleeves to start wiping the blood off his face.

"The harboring laws were put in place so that no Irken could go rogue and use the smeets as their own weapons," Red continued. "So now, what to do with Zim?"

Zim rose to his feet. "My Tallest, with all do respect, Ezari was already on my secret planet."

Both Tallests' heads jerked in surprise.

"A smeet on a planet where no Irkens have been?" said Purple.

Ria turned to them. "Yes my Tallest, I have been there my whole life."

"Who put you there?" Red asked.

"The sapphire eyes."

An alarm started blaring loudly. "Attention! We have confirmed intruders! Repeat, confirmed intruders! Meekrob have entered the Massive!"

Red gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Get Zim to the medical bay. We're going to need all your help."


	14. Intruders!

Intruders!

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Surprisingly, there were many Irkens in the medical bay. It appeared the intruding Meekrob had been attacking all over the ship. It was so crowded, Zim had to be treated outside in the hall. Tak had minor injuries, so an injection was just put into her PAK. An explosion went off, causing the Massive to tilt slightly. Irkens screamed.

"Don't move!" said the doctor treating Zim. "I have to erase the scars."

"As long as they won't bleed again, then leave them. My Tallest!" he stood and saluted. "The mighty Zim is here to do your bidding! What do you need of Zim?" The two long scars from Tak's claws were etched across his forehead.

Red cast him a side glare. "We're having people watch you."

"Hey! It's the large headed kid!" said Purple, pointing at Dib.

"My head's not big!"

Gaz shoved her brother aside. "Knock it off. We'll be going home soon."

Another explosion rocked the ship.

"Sorry Gaz," said Ria, "But no one's going home any time soon."

Red raised his voice so he could be heard over the shouting. "Everyone who can fight report to the armory. We need to scour the ship. Stay in groups, no going alone. Spread the word."

"Yes my Tallest!" Entire groups of healed Irkens left the medical bay.

Zim started to leave as well, but Purple blocked his path. "You're not going anywhere. Explain the aliens!" he pointed to Gaz, Dib, and Xan.

"My Tallest, though they be filthy and not worthy to lick my boot, Zim has called them... ... ... comrades for the situation we've been brought into."

"And what situation is that?"

He pointed at Ria.

Tenn and Zee approached their leaders. "Let him fight, my Tallest. We'll watch him. And the humans too."

"No," said Tallest Red, "_we'll _watch them."

Gaz scoffed. "You? You don't seem like the fighting type."

Red glared down at her. "We were Irken Elites before we were the Tallest."

"So take that!" said Purple.

Zim was fidgeting. "To fight beside the Tallest? Such honor! Zim has become even more amazing!"

Both Tallest face palmed. "I'm going to regret this," Red whispered to his co-leader.

Tak shoved Zim aside. "Stop flaunting your ego! We're in a bad situation here! My Tallest, I-" she was cut off as Zim tackled her. The hall was full of the sounds of them wrestling, trying to choke each other, and scratching at the other's eyes.

Ria grabbed the only thing she could in the spat, Tak's boot. She pulled the amethyst female away. "The Massive and everyone on it is in danger! We need to work together if we're to survive!" Tak and Zim glared at each other.

"Fine," they both said.

Rai held up her sleeve covered hands. "We're all friends here. Well...not friends, allies, let's go with that."

The Massive shifted to a dangerous tilt, causing all of them, except the Tallest, to slide to the other wall. They clung to whatever they could as the ship tilted again, turning the hall into a precarious slide. GIR let go and crashed into the wall at the end.

"Do it again!" he shouted back up to them.

As soon as the ship leveled out, a voice came on the intercom. "My Tallest, we need you on the bridge."

"All of you, come with us, _now,_" said Red.

Ria clambered up his back and sat on top of his PAK again. He didn't seem to mind. They all left for the bridge, Zim grabbing GIR by the leg and dragging him the whole way.

* * *

The pilots had taken refuge at their posts. Each was equipped with their own gun. Not to mention high nerves, for they immediately targeted Zim. Realizing the danger, Ria leapt from Red's shoulder, landing painfully on her side, and shielded him.

"You attack, you pay for it!" she waved her sleeves around wildly, making her look like she was insane.

"Don't attack," Red ordered. He then picked her up by the hood and set her back on his shoulders. "And you need to stay safe. You're our hope against the Meekrob."

"From what Zim told me, the Armada could easily destroy them."

"It's not just about blowing things up, though that is fun. The Meekrob can counter-attack just as easily as we attack. Strategy has to go into defeating our mortal enemies. Which is why we need you and what old time legend says about what you were created to do."

"What exactly is that?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that you're the ultimate weapon."

"My Tallest," one of the pilots waved them over, "we've confirmed three Meekrob life signals within the ship. But we're having a hard time pinpointing their exact locations."

"How did they get on the ship? Every entering ship is supposed to be searched."

"Our sensors indicate they arrived within the time range off three ships. A Spittle Runner and two Voots."

Zim and Tak both ducked their heads. Tenn, Zee, and Skoodge suddenly became incredibly interested in the floor.

"You?" Purple exclaimed. "You let the Meekrob in! You short idiots!"

Red gave his co-leader a look. "It's actually not the worst thing Zim's done."

"Actually my Tallest," said the pilot, "the Meekrob showed up on the Spittle Runner that wasn't checked. The Swarm pilots let it right through."

Zim grinned. "So Tak let the Meekrob in! You fail!" he taunted the amethyst female.

She growled. "Shut your mouth before I stick a laser up your a-"

"What do the Meekrob want exactly?" said Dib. "They'll go to where it is and you can catch them there."

"It's not that simple hippo-head," said Purple. "They want the Massive and want us dead."

"Hmm, there's a thought."

"Quiet Dib-stink!" Zim hit him.

Tallest Red floated to the middle of the room where his and Purple's chairs were. He took Ria off his shoulder and put her on one of the chairs. "Pilots! Lock the controls. Everyone is to group up and search the ship. Except you," he said as Ria started to climb down off the chair, "you're staying here."

"But I can help!"

"I don't need an untrained Irken firing weapons in the Massive. Zim's as close as I'll go." He floated back to the others. "By the way, can we trust them?" he gestured to Dib and Gaz.

"Good question. Dib-stink, Dibsister, you willing to help or get launched out the airlock?" Zim was obviously up for the latter.

Gaz smirked. "You're letting immature cocky idiots handle weapons. It's just like our army. I'll help, but only because I want to go back home and I want a high powered weapon."

Dib crossed his arms. "Well, I'm not helping!"

"Good," Zim reached for him.

"Stay back!"

"C'mon Dib," said Gaz. "It'll be fun."

"Helping the enemy? Don't you know the sides?"

"I know you're bugging me. You know what? Just tie him up and throw him in jail until this is over. He won't be useful anyway."

"Hey! Fine, I'll help! But just because I want to get out of here!"

"Just leave Xan here!" Ria called over to them.

The mutant started over to her.

"Everyone else, grab a gun," said Red.


	15. The Power of Popcorn

The Power of Popcorn

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Ria and Xan each took a chair. They were really comfortable too. The shouts of Irkens could be heard even inside the locked down bridge. The two stared idly out the window into deep space.

"It really is beautiful. The stars and the planets. I wonder where it ends? Or does it just go on forever?" Ria pricked her antennae to listen for the sounds of Irkens. "It's not fair! I'm finally here among my own kind and I can't do anything to help them! I can fight!"

"You need to stay safe. You're our hope against the Meekrob," Xan imitated Red's voice.

After the initial shock of his speech, Ria sat with her legs hanging off the platform. She rolled up her sleeves to look down at her hands. "But I don't what an ultimate weapon is. There's nothing special about me. How can I win an entire war against an enemy I haven't even seen?"

Xan whined and pushed his head under her arm.

"You're a good friend. I'm glad you're here. And Zim and Skoodge. I do like them, honestly. You probably expect me to automatically hate Tak. I'm not sure how to answer that one. She is violent, like Zim, her mind is unstable, like Zim, she just wants to impress the Tallest, like Zim...I'm sensing a reoccurring factor here."

The sound of something hitting the floor startled both of them. Ria felt her squeedly spooch tighten in fear. A supposedly empty canister, due to th echo it made, rolled on the floor after falling from the shelf.

"Was the Massive shaking and I didn't feel it?" Ria whispered.

Xan shook his head. The canister came to a halt. The silence was deafening. Ria suddenly bit back a shriek of terror. A strange floating being slipped out from behind the computers. The smeet actually felt the information being retrieved from her PAK.

Species: Meekrob

Planet Status: Independent, at war

Weapons: Natural stinging cells within tendrils, renown psychic abilities

What to do: Kill

"Klg'har, wherever did St'lar go?" asked the Meekrob.

A second one floated into view. "I don't know Dev'yin. He's most likely destroying more of the Massive."

"Is that wise? He's just a rookie, what if he gets caught?"

"Have faith in him. At least his shenanigans will keep the Irkens busy. We can do this without a hassle."

The two Meekrob began prodding at the controls. Ria and Xan slipped behind the chairs.

"Damn! They've locked it down. We'll have to do this manually."

"Oh Dav'yin, you know I hate manually. It's so dangerous. You're wide open for attack when you control the whole ship."

"I know, but Lady Frith'gen said to accomplish the task. We must."

The Meekrob began floating for the door. Ria held her breath. The terror of being caught threatened to take control of her, but she forced it back. However, focusing on not panicking caused her to ignore other things. She sneezed.

"A smeet!" said Dev'yin.

Klg'har spread his hood in a menacing fashion. The ends of his tendrils sparked.

"Klg'har, let's just leave it. What can it do?"

"It can alert the other Irkens. Lady Frith'gen said kill anyone who gets in the way."

"But this smeet's not in the way!"

Klg'har was a few feet away from Ria. His tendrils were sending electrical currents. The smeet froze in pure terror, so her PAK acted for her. With a scream, Ria unleashed her spider legs, driving them into Klg'har's hood. The Meekrob wailed and shot back, his hood punctured in four places. Ria scrabbled away from the chairs and dropped onto the giant tubes and wires that extended from the platform, Xan close behind. The Meekrob were advancing now, Dev'yin now all for killing the smeet.

_Zim! Skoodge! GIR! Tak! Someone please help me! They're gonna kill me! I don't want to die!_

She sheltered behind a computer. Her entire body was shaking, her breath came in erratic gasps, her eyes were unfocused.

_This time...am I really going to die? _

The Meekrob approached her hiding place.

_No! I refuse to! I've been through too much!_

Ria unzipped her jacket and threw it aside. She now wore a complete armor suit made of collected purple and dark blue pieces she had found in the armory. She quickly drew a gun and sprang to the panel on the top of the computer. The Meekrob were shocked as she trained the gun on them.

"You won't kill me!"

Ria fired, getting knocked back from the backfire. Even as she lay on the floor, she heard the screeching cry of an injured Meekrob. She hoped it was Klg'har, at least Dev'yin had wanted to spare her. She climbed back up to see the result. One of Dev'yin's tendrils lay on the floor, smoking from one end.

"You slimy Irk worm!" Klg'har shouted. "You'll pay for that." Both Meekrob vanished before Ria's eyes.

"Wha-?" A sharp pain dug into the smeet's back. She squealed in pain and swung the gun behind her. Another prod dug cruelly at her side. Another lashed her in the back of the head. The Meekrob weren't gone, they were invisible, and they were attacking the weak spots of the armor. Ria continued to swing wildly, hoping to hit one and end the wretched burning pain. But the strikes kept coming and even more cruelly. Ria finally ran for the chairs. Xan appeared from the other side of the room, taking shelter with her.

"Foolish smeet! Do not defy the Meekrob Dynasty!"

* * *

"Meekrob signal ahead." Tenn had been trusted with the tracker, but not before Zim threw a fit over not being allowed to use. "Only one."

Gaz and Dib were suited up along with the Irkens, even the Tallest had traded their robes for their personal armor. Dib was fidgeting so much he couldn't hold his gun up. Gaz looked mildly interested in the thought of fighting aliens. The group faced a closed door.

"On the other side," Tenn whispered.

Before any plan could be made or enforced, Zim screamed a battle cry and bounded forward. He threw open the door and shot wildly. When the dust cleared, a fragment of Meekrob hood was there, but no Meekrob. the room was very small, closet small. A control panel was on the wall inside. A busted, shot at control panel.

"Zim," Red's voice was dangerous, "are you aware of what you just shot at?"

The short Irken retrieved the hood fragment and held it up. "I shot the Meekrob, my Tallest! Praise Zim!"

"That's the gravity control, you idiot! You shot it!"

On cue, everyone felt weightless and floated off the floor. They clung as best they could to the walls.

"Uhh," said Zim, "to better understand our enemies, we must travel like them! Zim is amazing! Come! Let us find our prey!"

* * *

Ria hung on to the chair for dear life. She cast her gaze around the room, trying desperately to find her enemies. She didn't find them, but she saw something else. Two bags of popcorn slowly floating away in the zero gravity. She grabbed them and emptied the contents around herself. The popcorn spread apart slowly, but continued to surround her.

"Some moron must have broken the gravity control," said one of the Meekrob.

"Who cares?"

Ria focused solely on the popcorn. There! A large portion of it moved together. The smeet drew her gun once more and shot. The Meekrob materialized immediately. It was Klg'har. He let out a dying screech before going limp and floating idlely. Dev'yin materialized as well.

"No! No! Klg'har, don't die!"

Ria actually felt tears running down her own cheeks. Even in self defense, she never wanted to hurt anyone. It wasn't in her nature.

_Is this what Red meant by an ultimate weapon? I kill instantly in a state of fear?_

Dev'yin turned to the smeet. The distraught Meekrob was thrown off by Ria's tears. Confusion clouded the alien's mind. "You will pay for what you've done!" She shot out of the bridge, the door closing behind her.

Ria pushed off the chairs and floated along as best she could. She grabbed the microphone for the intercom. "Attention please. This is Ria, I'm in the bridge. Two Meekrob have just attacked. I...I killed one, the other ran off. Please, someone come up here. I...I need help. Dev'yin...I'm..." Ria dropped the microphone without bothering to turn it off first. It lay on the computer panel. The smeet sobbed loudly, knowing the sounds were being broadcasted all over the Massive.

* * *

I made up the things on the Meekrob cuz there's no actual information on them. F*** you Nickelodeon for cancelling the greatest show ever!


	16. Taking Control

Taking Control

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The Tallest still wore their hover devices, so they got to the bridge before anyone else.

"Ria!" Red called out.

The smeet, her face still tear-stained, looked over the computer. Her body trembled from the effort to stop sobbing. Xan was desperately churning his paws in the zero gravity, trying to reach Ria. The Tallest both saw the Meekrob carcass floating around.

"You killed a Meekrob?" said Red.

Purple suddenly cried, "Our popcorn!"

The sounds of wrestling and fighting echoed from the hall. Tak and Zim, still entangled and biting at each other, shot through and into the bridge. They hit Purple and bounced off, not noticing the action. Gaz was pulling Dib by his hair. Zee, Tenn, Skoodge, GIR, and MiMi came through the doors at different times.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Tenn groaned, spinning in somersaults.

MiMi steadied her before she had a chance to puke.

Red grabbed Klg'har's empty husk. "This is incredible. How did you kill it?"

"They turned invisible and started attacking me. I used the popcorn in the zero-G so they would show to my eyes. I killed that one, his name was Klg'har."

"Who cares what's its name?" He let go of Klg'har. "Where's the others?"

"One never showed here, they said he was somewhere in the Massive. The other one, Dev'yin, ran off after I killed Klg'har." Ria wiped the stains on her face. "They were trying to unlock the controls. Klg'har had said something about doing it manually. Dev'yin can do it manually."

"Manually? They're trying to take control of the Massive. We have to find the other two. You're coming with us this time, the danger of leaving you alone is too great."

Gaz let Dib go and floated over to Ria. "They got you good. What are these things called?"

Tak kicked Zim away. "They're the Meekrob, energy bastards."

The corpse sailed past Dib. "I've seen these before."

"They were fake, ant brain!" Zim called from the other side of the room.

* * *

Dev'yin collapsed in a dark vent after her flee. She lay in the thin layer of dust, her remaining tendrils dragging behind her. "Klg'har...I don't know what to do. My mate...my mate... I'll do it. I'll take the Massive. The Irken Empire will pay for your death!"

"Dev'yin!" A younger male Meekrob poked his head through an opening in the vent. "It is you!"

"St'lar? Where have you been?"

"In the lower parts of the ship. An idiot Irken shot at me! He busted the gravity control and tore my hood. Where's Klg'har?"

"He...he's dead."

"I'm so sorry. What do we do now?"

"I'm in charge now. We're taking the Massive."

"Great! I've got something that'll help." He disappeared and came back pushing a case. "This is a black hole bomb. We need to collect the Irkens together. When they're in one room, we'll set off the bomb and it'll transport them away."

"Where will they go? We can't have them materialize anywhere near Meekrob or their home planet."

"It sends them to the edge of the universe, maybe they'll fall off the boundary."

Dev'yin collected herself. "Let's go to the largest docking bay. They'll pick up our signals and rush there. Then we lock them in and detonate the bomb."

"But maybe we should take control before we send them off. You find a secluded place and start your psychic powers, I'll go to the bay."

The female Meekrob studied him closely. "Alright. I'll hide and start the takeover. You go to bay 3, that's the one one we came in on and the largest one. Good luck."

"And you."

Once he left with the case, Dev'yin began her rounds to find a safe place. She wandered from the vent and into the food court. Some Irkens were there, snacking and talking. They didn't notice her move to the next vent. She continued on, determined in her goal after witnessing her mate's death.

"Perfect."

The power core, surrounded by energy and the wires that extended from it and went all over the Massive. Dev'yin rose to the top of the core. She settled in the smallest space she could find and extended her tendrils.

"The Irken judgment day begins now."

* * *

Everyone grunted loudly as they fell to the floor.

"Aww," said GIR, "no more floaty time."

"Why did it just come back on like that?" said Zee.

The ship trembled.

"What was that?" said Dib.

Everyone was thrown off their feet as the Massive was heaved through space by an invisible force. Ria rolled all the way around the room and on top of Tak. As the ship leveled out, Zim sprung to his feet and snatched Ria.

"Zim will protect you, Ezari! The Tak beast won't lay a claw on you!"

Tak growled and gripped the front of his shirt. "Ria is essential to the Empire's survival, and since we need her and you won't get the death penalty, I wouldn't dream of hurting her."

"Release Zim's shirt!"

Dib stumbled to the front window of the bridge. "Is the Massive supposed to be doing this?"

The ship was hurtling past planets and stars instead of lazily gliding.

"No...no it's not," said Purple. "But this does seem very familiar."

Red smacked him in the back of the head. "We're being controlled by an outside source. Zim did this once."

"Oh yeah, I remember!"

* * *

The pilots returned to their stations, but it was useless. No matter how hard they tried with the ship's controls, it continued on its path. But it wasn't like when it happened that time Zim controlled the Massive. There was no insane flying around. It was like they were flying the controls, except they really weren't. It was weird.

Ria sank into one of the Tallest chairs. "Where are we going?"

Zee, Tenn, and Skoodge were standing side by side, staring out the giant window.

"This system looks familiar," said Tenn.

Tak wandered over. "It does. Wait- my Tallest! The Massive-it's heading into our system!"

The pilots double checked the readings. "She's right! If we continue on this course, we'll collide with Irk!"

Everyone who was Irken started screaming.

Ria raised her voice. "This is what the Meekrob were talking about! They're taking the Massive and they're gonna take out us and Irk itself!"

"Cool," said Gaz.

Ria cast her a side glare. "I'm going to ignore that."

"Sirs!" said one of the pilots. "We have confirmed a Meekrob life signal. It's down in bay 3."

"My ship!" Tak exclaimed. "I'm going down there!"

"I'm coming too," Ria jumped off the chair.

Red blocked her path. "No you're not!"

"If you want to me to one day fight the Meekrob as the Empire's ultimate weapon, then let me fight two trespassing loners. I already beat one with no help, and I'll be with Tak this time."

Zim barred his teeth. "I'm coming as well!"

Red turned to him this time. "No deal. You stay here. Fine Ria, I'll have guards meet you two down there."

"Thank you, my Tallest."


	17. A Shield

A Shield

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Ria was reequipped with new armor, seeing as hers was falling apart.

"Stay close to me," Tak told her.

Ria rested her gun on her shoulder. "Will do."

The guards circled them in a defensive ring. The Tallest had told them how crucial it was for Ria to survive. She found it strange they didn't seem to care about Tak. To fix this, she stayed very close to the amethyst eyed female, giving the guards no choice but to protect both of them. Xan padded alongside. He had bolted at the last second and was now a part of the group. Not that they could stop him anyway. His devotion to Ria only rivaled that of GIR's to Zim.

"Anyone here have a signal reader?" Ria asked.

"Here," a younger red eyed female passed hers.

"Thanks. What's your name?"

The female seemed confused as to why Ria would want to know, but she answered anyway. "Yule."

"Thank you, Yule." Ria looked down at the device. They were outside the main door that led into bay 3. The radar on the signal reader said there was only one Meekrob in the bay. She found this strange. If Dev'yin was so upset about Klg'har being killed, why wasn't she protecting the other Meekrob? Or did she not care if the other one died? Either this signal was Dev'yin's, or the other one, either way, she had abandoned the rookie. "Be careful," she informed the rest of the group, "the other Meekrob could be hiding somewhere. We can't be rash."

"Good thing Zim's at the bridge," said Tak. "But, he'll probably find a way."

"Do we advance?" Yule asked.

Ria nodded and stepped forward, the doors sliding open for them.

* * *

"I don't trust the Tak beast with Ezari!"

Gaz glared at the magenta eyes male. "Zip it Zim. She said she wouldn't do anything."

"And you believe her?"

"Barely. Now shut up."

Dib was staring wide eyed out the giant window, watching the stars shoot by. "So...if we crash into your home planet, you're doomed."

"So are you," said Tenn. "You're on board."

Dib struck a heroic pose. "It will be a small price to pay to save the Earth!"

"Calm down hero boy, you want to die about as much as I do. And I still have much to do in life."

"Much a do about nothing," said Zee.

"Shut up!"

"How come she gets to yell and I can't?" Zim asked.

* * *

The guards spread out through the bay. Ria and Tak stationed themselves near the door, surveying everything in their line of sight. The signal reader's radar grew stronger. The Meekrob was here, but where? What could it do in the bay? Destroy the ships? The Irkens could still escape. Hide? They had the signal reader.

Xan began nosing at Ria's head wound. She pushed him away, but he came right back to sniffing. Then he shoved his face against the floor. Tak and Ria watched as he paced across the floor, nose glued down.

"He's tracking the scent," Ria realized. "Keep a close eye on him."

Xan was criss-crossing the entire bay, sniffing ships and air vents. He finally stopped at Tak's ship. He sat o n the floor and stared at it.

"Did his mind blow?" said Tak.

"I don't think so." Ria stealthily ran over to her companion. Both stared at the ship. Ria squinted her eyes. _Why would he stop here?_ Because there's something. _Then we're looking for something that isn't there. _They can go invisible. _Can he scent them? The why isn't he attacking?_ Ria walked around the ship, looking it up and down. What could it be? Why Tak's ship? Xan wasn't the most intelligent creature in the universe, but he wasn't stupid either. There was something here and he knew it. She went to the back of the ship. Her antennae barely caught the sound of beeping. Ria crouched down and looked underneath the Spittle Runner. She found what Xan found. "Run! Everyone get out!" she sprang to her feet, rushing back to the door. "It's a bomb!" The signal reader she still clutched in her hand went blank. The Meekrob was gone.

The guards began making mad dashes for other doors leading out. They failed to open.

"We're locked in!"

"Somebody help us!"

They all began throwing their fists against the doors. Some even took their guns and shot at them.

"Take cover! Anywhere!" Ria fumbled with the communicator she had been given. The fear was too great. She dropped it. Everyone heard a loud click and immediately knew its meaning. They dove for ships and crouched in corners. Ria curled up as far away from the bomb as she could, but not before activating the air bubble on her armor. A loud *boom* rocked the ship.

* * *

"My Tallest!" said one of the pilots after the Massive rocked violently. "A bomb was just detonated in bay 3!"

Purple began to panic, but Red shoved him out of the way. "Open the intercom!"

They received only hissing.

Gaz's arms went limp. "Ria?" She actually sounded sad.

* * *

The wooshing of everything being pulled toward the mini black hole was unbearable. It drowned out the screams of the unlucky guards who couldn't hang on to sturdy pieces of wall or furniture. Ria felt something covering her as she clung to a bar on the wall. She braved the overwhelming fear and opened her eyes. She screamed as it slipped away. The smeet released one hand from the bar and reached out to her shield. She gripped Tak's shirt tightly, not letting any thoughts tell her otherwise. The amethyst female was limp, unconscious most likely.

_She protected me!_

Xan was digging his claws into the floor. The pull was just too great. He left little trenches as he slowly slid toward the black hole. Ria mustered more courage than she had and extended her spider legs. Xan clung to one of them, having to release one of his paws. His other paw slipped, leaving him clinging desperately to a single spider leg, swinging in the suction.

"Xan!" The spider leg snapped, sending Xan plummeting into the black hole.

The doors slid open. Zim and Skoodge, with safety harnesses on, slipped through. Only a few guards had survived.

"Ezari, let go!" Zim shouted over the rushing.

"Are you insane?"

"Let go of the bar!"

She did so, using her two hands to hang onto Tak's limp body. The smeet gasped as she swung out on a line and was hauled up through the door. As soon as she was through, it slid shut. Ria collapsed, finally letting go of Tak. The amethyst female lay curled on her side. Her eyes were shut, her breathing was shallow, the part of her implant at the front of her head had been ripped out, revealing an open wound. Her entire back was scorched and scarred. Her uniform was burnt, full of holes, and her PAK was sparking.

"Tak?" Ria whimpered. "Can you hear me?"

Tenn and Zee started checking her over. They were too afraid to touch her PAK.

"She needs to go to the medical bay," said Skoodge.

There was a crowd of Irkens in the open hall. The shorter drones were trying to see what was happening. Two medics pushed through the crowd with a stretcher. They loaded Tak onto it and disappeared down the halls. Tenn and Zee started looking Ria over.

"Don't," she pushed them away. "I'm done with playing nice."

Tallest Red looked down at her. 'What?"

Ria raised her head, her golden eyes full of hate. She looked to each face. "I want to find those Meekrob. I want to kill them."

"Alright!" Zim cheered.


	18. Battlezone Among the Stars

Battle-zone Among the Stars

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The medical bay's only occupants were the surviving guards and Tak. The guards had burns and broken bones, nothing too major. Tak, however, was a different story. The amethyst female was inside a clear tube. The medics had put her into a hospital gown. Several tubes and wires were connected to her. Her PAK was unattached to her body, but was still connected by wires into her back. The PAK was outside the tube so the medics could work on it. It was planted into a charging station. The bloody implant was rested on an operating table, the resulting wound heavily bandaged.

Ria propped her chin against the glass of the tube. "You never had bad intentions. Not with me. Hate is a powerful emotion."

Zim, Skoodge, Tenn, Zee, Gaz, Dib, and GIR watched her speaking to the half dead Irken. MiMi was sitting on the same operating table with her master's implant. She was unresponsive.

One of the medics came by. "She's stable, but far from the safe zone. Her back is severely burned, much more than any of the guards," he gestured to Yule, who was sitting on one of the bunks carved from inside the wall. "Her skull is fractured, not to mention the wound from her implant being ripped out. On that note, where the hell did she get that thing?"

No one answered.

The medic cleared his throat. "Well, um... her PAK is what we truly need to worry about. She had her back to the explosion, so it took most of the blow."

"Can it be fixed?" Ria asked.

"We're trying sweetie, but this thing is fried. As long as it stays activated, we replace it piece by piece."

"Thank you." Ria turned away from the tube.

Yule approached her, but her posture was subdued and fearful. "I'm sorry I couldn't do my job." She immediately cowered in fear.

Ria raised an antennae. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, natural reaction. When I was in training and I did something wrong, my commanding officer would beat me. I was part of the hired hand guards. He always told my client I was the runt of the litter and to do whatever they wanted to me if I failed at the littlest thing. Call it the thin ray of hope when I was sent to the Massive for guard duty. This is my best job assignment ever."

Zim looked at her funny. "Seriously?"

"Even with the bomb and the Meekrob. That gives you an idea of my life."

Ria waved her hand. "You didn't leave us, that's a job well done. But is guard duty really what you wanted to do in life?"

"...no, it's not. If I may speak freely-"

"Please do."

"I wanted to cook. I wanted to be a chef. Silly, isn't it?"

"Not at all. When this is all over, I'll put in a request."

"Can you do that?"

"I'm the last hope for the Empire, I can do whatever I want. I just like to use this power constructively."

"Food service isn't what it's all made out to be," said Zim. "Zim has experience."

"Ria and Alpha group," said a pilot's voice over the intercom, "you are requested in the bridge."

* * *

"How long do we have before we reach Irk?" Ria asked.

Red looked out the giant window. The Massive was still moving at the Meekrob set pace. "Approximately one hour. You'd be amazed how fast time flies when you're about to be doomed within that time limit."

"I have an amazing plan!" Zim announced. He pulled up a hologram of his 'amazing plan'. Everyone was in such a desperate state, they actually looked it over with hope.

"That was so stupid I think my PAK just reactivated me," said Tenn.

"I don't see you coming up with anything!"

Ria was exasperated. Her anger for what the Meekrob had done was overwhelming. She drew her gun and fired it into the ceiling. Thankfully, it was on a low setting.

"What is wrong with you?" Purple shouted.

"I'm through messing around. Whoever here is serious can come with, but I'm finding those Meekrob! Tak and Yule are injured and Xan is gone. I won't let them slip away. Who's with me?"

Tenn, Zim, and Gaz went with her, leaving the others behind in shock.

"That was...interesting," said Red. "She's certainly starting to show the ultimate weapon look. This smeet is just what we need. The Meekrob don't stand a chance."

The pilots started to cheer, but other occupants in the room were slightly disturbed.

"Ri-Ri scary now," GIR cried.

"She's going insane. And I had hope in her," said Dib.

Skoodge firmly shook his head. "That's not Ria, she would never act like this."

* * *

Irkens practically threw themselves against walls to avoid Alpha group. Any Irkens, or people, escorting Ria were immediately labeled Alpha group. Drones, guards, medics, pilots, and visitors alike were all in panic. They were all collecting their belongings and such, some were looting. Ria felt a stab of remorse in her state of fury after witnessing a drone get trampled. She didn't have a problem with being too short and getting trampled, everyone was doing their absolute best to get the hell out of her way. Ria clutched the signal reader in her hand. She stopped flat in the mess hall. All the snacks were gone, so the place was empty.

"What is it?"

Ria showed the reader to Tenn. "A Meekrob is here. Show no mercy."

The four began ransacking the place, tearing apart furniture, pulling wires, searching vents, knocking down shelves. All the while, the reader still told them the Meekrob was here. Moving around, but still here.

"Duck!" Zim shot a sack of flour.

"You dumbass!" Gaz shouted. "Flour's flammable!"

But it worked. The Meekrob appeared, covered with flour and coughing hard. Ria took aim with her gun, only to falter after realizing it wasn't Dev'yin. "It's the rookie."

But no amount of additional information mattered to Zim. He shot St'lar. The Meekrob screeched in pain, half his hood burned away. He fell to the floor, not able to support himself in the intense pain. Zim tackled him and held him down.

"Release your control on the Massive, Meekrob scum!"

"Get off me, you son of a Slorr-beast!"

Zim jabbed the barrel of his laser into St'lar's face. ''Take it back!"

Ria turned to one of the vents. Without speaking to any of the others, she shot open the grate and climbed inside. The sounds of wrestling echoed behind her, but she didn't care. She was forced to crouch-run through the narrow vent. She didn't know why, but she knew what Dev'yin was doing. Klg'har said she was open when she used her total control powers. So where would she go? Someplace secluded, someplace the Irkens couldn't reach her. What was the most dangerous place to be in the Massive? The power core.

The signal reader started beeping.

Thankfully, she managed to catch herself with her spider legs before tumbling out of the vent. The core cell was a huge circular, egg-shaped room. The power core was a large blueish ball of energy suspended far above the floor. The wires and tubes drawing its energy protected it as well. Other vents on the surrounding walls were all closed...except one. Far below was the only door into the cell.

Ria looked up, past the wires and tubes, and past the core. There she was. Dev'yin was at the top of the room. She was in complete focus. Ria used her spider legs to climb the walls. She leapt to the top of the core. "Dev'yin!"

The Meekrob looked down at her. "You...you will pay for what you did."

"And you will pay for what you're doing now!"

"Yes, isn't wonderful? The Massive will crash into Irk, killing thousands and the Tallest."

"But, once I kill you, it all will stop."

"True, true. In this state, I am as vulnerable as possible."

"Then why aren't you afraid?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you don't have it in you to kill me."

"Shut up!" _She's stalling me! She's trying to keep me from killing her so the Massive will crash. _"I know what you're doing."

"Then why don't you try and stop me?"

Ria pointed her gun. _I can get revenge for Xan. I can get revenge for Tak. For these bastards hurting me, for my people. _She was in total control of the situation, yet...she couldn't do it. She faltered.

"Why do you stop?"

"I won't kill you, but I will stop you."

* * *

"Within five minutes of Irk collision!"

* * *

Ria shot one of Dev'yin's tendrils. The Meekrob was obviously not expecting this. She screamed loudly and lost her focus. She fell from the ceiling and onto the top of the power core. Quickly taking control of this new situation, Ria planted a foot on her enemy.

"Don't mess with the Irken Empire!"

Dev'yin shoved her off. "You little bitch! You're not a real Irken, you're much too hateful and violent! I've seen some bad Irkens, I've even seen that freak, Zim, in action!"

"I'm not violent!" Ria aimed her gun. "I...I'm just confused!" She spun the gun around and beat Dev'yin with the back of it. The Meekrob latched her tendrils onto the smeet, delivering extremely painful shocks. But Ria continued to fight hard. "You can't kill me! I've tried myself!" She threw Dev'yin back. The Meekrob slid to a halt near the edge of the power core. Ria advanced forward, holding the gun in the Meekrob's face. "I won't die. I...I serve the Empire. I serve the Control Brains and my Tallest. I..." the realization flashed in her eyes. _I'm a monster._

**_No you're not. You don't know what to do anymore. Trust me Ria._**

_Who are you? Why do you speak to me?  
_

_**I am simply a guiding voice. I have felt the hate you feel now, I have lived it. But, unlike you, I was forced to follow it willingly. You have a choice. You are a defect, the Empire does not control you. You have a choice here, kill her, or not.**_

Dev'yin opened her eyes and looked up at her enemy.

_I'm not a monster. I do have a choice. _Ria pulled the gun away. "I won't kill you, but listen well. You will leave, run back to your planet, and never return here. Take your companion and go."

Dev'yin rose up. She seemed ready to tear into the smeet, but knew when she had been defeated. She shot off through one of the vents. Ria looked down at the signal reader. Two Meekrob signals were driving off one human signal and two Irken signals. Two Meekrob signals were interacting with each other. Two Meekrob signals were leaving the Massive.

They were gone.

* * *

When Alpha group made it back to the bridge, they were horrified to see how dangerously close they were to Irk. They were greeted with cheering of all Irkens.

"Your success in driving the Meekrob away was amazing," said Red. "You are the true weapon we've been waiting for."

Irkens of all heights and professions began crowding around, trying to touch Ria's armor and face.

"My Tallest!" a medic was pushing his way through the crowds. "I have news!'

"Well hurry up! We've got battle plans to make."

The medic stopped beside Ria. "We tried everything-"

"What is it you need to tell us?" Purple sounded impatient.

The medic bowed. "My Tallest, I am grieved to inform you that the Irken female named Tak...has died."


	19. Gears

Gears

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

There was no cheering, no celebration, no sound. Not to Ria. Everyone else was too overjoyed to hear the medic's message. They continued without a care in the universe. But she heard it. All sound turned to a faint thumping noise. Her PAK, she was hearing her PAK.

"It was her PAK, wasn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. It just gave out. She's gone."

_An Irken needs a PAK to live, to survive. But I don't. Could I...?_

Ria forcibly pushed her way through the crowd. Everyone was surprised and stumbled over each other.

"Ezari? Where are you going?" Zim called after her.

Once she was in the empty hall, the smeet broke into a run. Her antennae picked up the sound of running feet. The others were following her. Let them, let them witness who she truly was. She wasn't a monster, but she would play one. To protect others, she would play monster. She burst into the medical bay. Yule jumped in surprise. The red eyed female was by Tak's tube. Her eyes said it all. Pity, sadness, the works.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ria. You were close to her I suppose?"

Ria didn't speak. She rushed to the charging station by the tube. Tak's broken PAK was still in it. Ria gripped the edge of it and ripped the PAK out. Yule let out a shriek as sparks burst out of the machine. Ignoring the sparks, Ria pulled off her own PAK and shoved it in the station. All was quiet. Yule was trembling. Of course, why shouldn't she? She just witnessed an Irken rip off their own PAK.

"Come on, come one," Ria quietly pleaded.

*beep*

The monitor above the tube showed brain activity, breathing rate, and PAK activity.

*beep*

The once flat lines began zig-zagging once more. Slowly at first, then quicker and constant. Ria looked into the tube, at the thin body garbed in a medical gown and lying on the white cloth. Nothing moved, not an antennae or even a finger twitched. Suddenly Tak's eyes shot open. She pushed herself up, immediately coming in contact with the glass dome. She was coughing uncontrollably and violently. She shoved the glass dome off the tube and sagged slightly over the edge. Thankfully, the wires and tubes stayed in place.

"You're alive!" Ria hugged Tak's bandaged head. "It worked! I'm so happy!"

Tak was forced to push her away to raise her head. "What...what happened?" Her breath came in ragged gasps.

"You died, but I saved you! I gave you my PAK."

Tak looked to the station, horrified to see her original PAK lying broken on the floor, and seeing a different one in its place. Her muscles gave out, causing her to pull herself back into the tube to lye down.

"No way."

Ria turned to see the others were crowded in the doorway of the medical bay. The look on Dib's face said he was taking mental notes. The Irkens of Alpha group had nothing to say after what Zim had managed in the state of shock.

Tak lifted her head once more to see her audience. "Hello," she waved her fingers, then collapsed again.

Ria jumped up and stood at Tak's feet in the lining of the tube. "No crowding. Don't get close, she needs to breathe."

The medic shoved Zim and Dib aside. "That's impossible!" he said when he saw Tak's monitor. "She was dead!"

Ria stepped down. "But I gave her my PAK." She turned to show her exposed back. "I don't need it to survive. There are perks to be an Auto-Defect."

The medic checked over Tak's vitals. "I've never heard of an Irken giving their PAK to another, so I don't know how this will turn out. But she does seem to be stable now." He put his hand to his chin. "This might work. The PAK may need tweaking since it had a mistress and was suddenly traded off, it may not accept Tak right away."

"Will it keep her alive?"

"Yes, but weapons, shields, air bubble, communicator, spider legs, all that stuff, it probably won't respond to her. The PAK needs to get used to Tak. How good is this PAK in your opinion, Ria?"

"Very good. I'm not one to brag, but I've even put in a few things. Let me hack it real quick." She pushed Tak into a sitting position and began working on the PAK.

Zim wandered over, interested. "You know how to PAK-hack?"

"I practiced when Skoodge went to sleep."

Said Irken let out a small yell.

"Anyhow, this-should-work." She ducked as two metallic wings unfolded from the PAK.

"Whoa!" Tak did her best to crane her head to see. "Wings? You made and installed wings by yourself?"

"Oh believe me, they had to go through dozens of prototypes. They supported my weight, you might be a different story." She played with the PAK until the wings receded.

The Tallest appeared behind Alpha group. They were let through to see the amazing feat that was Ria's PAK being traded off.

"Very interesting," said Red. "This is the first time this has ever been done."

A loud boom caused everyone to flinch. Part of the wall had exposed gears after the wild ride with the Massive. The loud boom indicated the gears were turning again after becoming jammed.

Ria stood as tall as she could, which wasn't very tall, and saluted. "My Tallest! I have a proposition."

"A proposition? About what?"

"About being the Empire's weapon. You see, the voice in my head taught me something. I am defective, the Empire does not control me, thus, I have a choice."

They looked horrified. "You can't do that!" Red exclaimed.

"But I can. Earlier today, the Control Brains reached me, but they couldn't control me. I am free of mind and body. I obey no one. Which is why I am offering myself as a weapon to you, but want things in return."

Zim looked about ready faint. An Irken disobeying the Empire? It was unheard of.

"Fine," Red spat, "what do you want?"

_This is my choice. I am not a monster, but I will play one. _"I will be your ultimate weapon." _To protect Tak, and Zim, and Xan's memory, my friends, I will play as their weapon, so they may be always safe. _"But in return, I want my friends as my personal guards, we will be Alpha group. All criminal charges against Zim, Skoodge, and Tak will be dropped and/or forgiven. And...I want you to spare Earth from Operation Impending Doom ll."

Now Zim looked like he was going to strike out at Ria.

"It was never marked."

"What?" Ria, Zim, and Dib said at the same time.

Red shook his head. "It was never marked for conquest. We never wanted it."

"B-but m-my Tallest!" Zim stammered. "You sent me there to conquer it! You must have wanted it dearly if you had sent the mighty Zim."

"No Zim, we don't care about Earth. We never did. You single-handily ruined Impending Doom, we wanted you far, far away. We sent you to a planet we knew nothing about, hoping you'd die!"

"But...my Tallest-"

"It was marked by a sticky note!"

Zim was silent. He seemed to be trying to work out an explanation to cover the actual truth. Dib was also lost for words. He kept looking looking between Zim and the Tallest. "It was all a lie? Everything you did, everything I did, it was all for nothing?"

Ria leaned her back against a wall. "I'm sorry Zim."

He didn't respond.

Ria felt her antennae droop in her sadness. Everything Zim had believed in was a lie. A horrible blinding pain made her screech. She felt her head being yanked back. Through the excruciating pain, she could faintly hear the other panicking. Obviously this was something they could see happening. She heard two loud metallic clangs, one on each side of her head. The pain lessened, but not by much. She opened her tear blinded eyes. Zim and Dib were each clutching a metal rod, one on each side of her head. The other ends were jammed into the gears behind her.

"Carefully, as carefully as you can," said Red.

Tenn and Zee were beside Zim and Dib, their hands buried in the wall. They were manually reversing the gears. Ria felt her head begin to come loose. As she manage to pull herself further from the wall, the realization of what just happened hit her. She had been leaning near the exposed part of the wall. Her antennae had gotten caught in the gears.

Tenn supported her head as soon as it was free. Ria dropped to the floor. "How bad is it?"

Irken antennae had nerve endings. Depending on how they were touched, one would get different results. They picked up vibrations and such when sound waves hit them. So they were very sensitive. Imagine them being crushed between two pieces of metal.

"Lift your head," the medic ordered.

Ria raised her head up. She felt something tickle the back.

"Oh Irk," said the medic.

Tak was half-leaning out of the tube, her expression showing horror. She slipped slightly, causing Yule to immediately rush to her. Skoodge held up a mirror to the smeet.

"It...it's not too bad."

The first half of her antennae were still straight. At the end of it, it kinked and let the rest hang down. The limp part of her antennae were in a distinct lightning bolt shape. It swung on its own, explaining the tickling it did to the back of her head. The medic bandaged the kinked part, but left the rest alone.

"There isn't anything we can do," he said. "They're ruined."

"Are the nerves destroyed?"

"On the limp parts they are. So...from your head to the kink is where you can still feel."

Ria turned to the Tallest. There were plans to be made, and she wouldn't be left out. "Is there a place where all the Irkens can come together?"

Red hovered over to the intercom. "Send out messages. All Irkens are to report to Conventia."

* * *

So Tak lived! yay!


	20. Summons

Summons

I am the voice of Dragons past

Don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The Massive glided through space, making its way to Conventia. Some of the ships in the swarm had gone ahead to alert the planet and to send out messages. Even as the Massive was making its way there, hundreds of other Irken ships were going as well.

Alpha group was still hanging out in the medical bay. Ria was back in her jacket. After redressing in her familiar clothing, she realized she had stowed her camera in the leg pocket. Now she was fiddling around with it, drawing the curious attention of Yule. The red eyed female hung over her shoulder, watching her mess around with the camera.

"What is that?"

"A camera."

"Really? It looks so weird. Ours are smaller."

Tak was testing to see if her legs would support her. She declared she wouldn't be left behind at the meeting. The medic said it was okay if she could get there herself, without the need of a wheelchair and such. However, all she had to wear were the medical clothes. Her uniform had been too damaged. She stumbled slightly, but managed to pass this small evaluation.

"Just be careful," said the medic.

"I will."

"Where we goin'?" GIR asked.

"To Conventia," Zee explained. "All the Irkens will be there. Battle plans have to be made and everyone needs to know what's happening."

Zim was playing with a scalpel. He would balance it on his lip. He appeared to be deep in thought. Dib was too. He seemed to be looking at Zim with new eyes. After discovering the truth behind the plan for his planet, he realized that he and Zim weren't that different. Horrifying, isn't it?

"Ria and company," Red's voice came on over the intercom, "we're going to the planet surface. Come to the bridge."

Zim dropped the scalpel. "Let's go."

* * *

"This place is so different from Earth." Ria was trying to see everything at once.

Guards surrounded them as Alpha group walked with the Tallest. Other Irkens were rushing past them and into the Great Assigning chamber.

"There appears to be many Irkens missing," Red noticed. "Oh, of course. The Foodening is happening on Foodcourtia. We'll have to do something about that. The rest of you go to the platform, I have to get something."

The rest continued on. The Irkens in the crowd watched them intently. But who wouldn't be interested in seeing a Tallest, two aliens, a smeet, two SIR units, an insane defective, and other Irkens going up and settling at the head platform.

"I don't like their staring," Ria whispered to Tak.

"Get used to it. They'll all keep staring after the Tallest tell them what you are."

Red appeared with a small device in his hands. "If I can get a volunteer, then our problem will be over."

"I'll do it," Tenn stepped forward.

"I want to go too," said Ria.

"If she's going, I'm going," said Tak.

Red shrugged. "Fine. Take a ship and go to Foodcourtia. The snacking will pull you in, let it. Once you land, take this to Sizz-Lorr. It'll completely stop the Foodening. We only use this in times of dire need." He handed it off to Tenn. "We await your return."

* * *

"Can I sit in your lap and steer?"

"Hmmm. Fine." Ria climbed up in Tenn's lap to steer the ship. The three females had been given a Shuvver to get to Foodcourtia.

"There isn't much traffic is there?"

"No. The Foodening keeps everyone from leaving. That's why we're here. There are many Irkens here, but they can't leave. We have to stop the Foodening so they can join the meeting."

The ship rumbled dangerously. Ria shrieked and released the controls. The Shuvver was being pulled down to the planet surface.

"Jeez it's strong! Do Irkens really snack this much?"

Tak appeared at Tenn's shoulder. "There's all kinds of aliens down there, not just Irkens. In fact, the other species easily outnumber the Irkens currently on the planet. But we run it."

Once they were in the atmosphere, Tenn was able to regain some control. It was a rough landing, but at least they didn't crash. They ended up accidentally knocking a ship out of its parking space. Tenn, greatly embarrassed, let out a small groan and took the spot.

Tak stumbled lightly when exiting the Shuvver, but she caught herself before the other two could assist. "We need to go to Shloogorgh's Flavor Monster. That's where Sizz-Lorr is."

"Why do we need to go to him specifically?" Ria walked close to Tak, concerned she would fall.

"He's the tallest Irken on this planet, so all matters concerning Foodcourtia are discussed with him."

The streets were filled with alien species of all kinds. The air swarmed with every ship possible. The three females had to push and shove.

"Move it!" Tak shouted. A few aliens purposely shoved back, causing her to fall over. They laughed cruelly as she floundered around, trying to get back to her feet. The look of pain on her face immediately told Ria something was wrong. Enraged, the gold eyed smeet kicked the biggest one in the shins. As he doubled over in pain, she rolled back her sleeve and scratched his face with her claws. While the others were busy helping their friend, Tenn tugged Tak to her feet and herded Ria away.

"You alright?" she asked Tak.

The amethyst female was breathing roughly. "I'll rest once we get there."

Ria gritted her teeth. "They were jerks."

The restaurant was crowded. The three females were being stepped on and pushed. Fed up with it, they forced their way through the kitchen door to get away from the crowd.

"Hey!" a male Irken noticed them. "You're not allowed back here!"

Tenn held out the device. "The Tallest have sent us to find Sizz-Lorr. Also, could we get a so medical help for our friend?"

"Wait here." The male disappeared back through the door.

The door opened again. A large Irken male with purple eyes and a white apron and hat stepped through. "Gashloog tells me you've been sent by the Tallest."

Tenn nodded. "Yes. All Irkens are being called to Conventia, so they gave us this device to stop the Foodening."

"Did Zim destroy Operation Impending Doom ll?"

"No...this meeting is different. You will be given a full briefing when you arrive. Do you have a medical kit?"

Sizz-Lorr handed over a small medical kit, and Tenn gave him the device in return. Tenn hooked up a breathing mask to Tak's face. Ria watched intently as Sizz-Lorr opened a panel on the wall. Inside was a plug-like object. He placed the device inside. There was a large rumble before they felt weightless. In fact, they were starting to float above the floor.

"What happened?" said Tak, pushing the mask away.

"The device stops the Foodening by lightening the gravity," Sizz-Lorr explained. "No one will float away, but it loosens the snacking pull enough to let us leave. You females go back to Conventia, I'll send out the word. We'll be there shortly."

The three saluted and marched out, with some difficulty.


	21. The Meeting

The Meeting

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Irkens were sitting in little groups and circles. Some were camping out on the floor. Others were sharing snacks. Everyone was talking about 'what do you think is happening?' and 'why did they call us?'. Alpha group and the Tallest remained on the platform. Tenn parked the Shuvver on the platform, not wanting to even try to get Tak through the crowd in her state.

"Since you made it back, I take it the Irkens from Foodcourtia are right behind?" said Red.

Ria climbed out of the ship. "Yep." She looked out over the crowd. Irkens of both genders, all sizes, skin pigments, eye colors, and jobs were interacting with each other, some positive, some negative. "This is the Empire?"

"Minus Control Brains, criminals, and smeets."

"Ah. Well then, do we begin once-"

A large shape barreled through the crowd, knocking Irkens aside without trouble. "Zim!" Sizz-Lorr roared loudly.

Zim leapt to his feet, screaming. Sizz-Lorr jumped up to the platform and started throttling him. The Tallest were just as surprised as everyone else, so they didn't command the fry lord to stop while in their state of shock. Since no one was doing anything, Ria took a flying leap and scrambled up Sizz-Lorr's shoulder guard. She hung off of it, waving her sleeve frantically to catch his attention. She finally got it.

"What do you want?" he asked after seeing her on his shoulder. He still had an iron grip on Zim's whole body.

"Please let go of him."

"What?"

"Please let go of my most trusted guard."

Sizz-Lorr started intently at her. "You're that smeet who came with the females. Why is he your guard?"

"Because he is. Now release him." She put a little more authority in her voice.

"Why should I listen to you?"

Zim let out a gurgled moan.

"Because I'm the last hope for the Empire."

He looked about ready to laugh himself silly, but Red approached him. "She's right. Release him." Sizz-Lorr let Zim drop.

Ria herded Alpha group together, she felt better when she knew where they all were.

"Welcome, once again, to Conventia!" Red signaled the start of the meeting. "You have all been called here for a matter most dire."

"And it's bad too!" said Purple.

Red gave him a look. "Three Meekrob had stowed upon the Massive and tried to crash it into Irk."

The crowd started shouting in anger.

"But...they were stopped by...them." He gestured to Alpha group. "Ria, come here." The smeet reluctantly removed herself from the group and went over to the Tallest. "This smeet is an Auto-Defect, an ultimate weapon."

The crowd began murmuring amongst themselves. They knew about the Auto-Defects being weapon failures, but not one existing to the age Ria was.

"Believe me, this news is very strange to you, but it is true. She killed a Meekrob on her own and ran the other two off the Massive. The Meekrob have been taunting us long enough. We are attacking!"

The crowd burst into cheers. One Irken shouted. "The Irken Empire rocks!"

"And this smeet," Red picked Ria up and sat her on his shoulder, "will be our ultimate weapon. All Irkens will stop their current jobs and go to the military planets. When we attack, we will be ready, and we will be victorious!"

Ria stood up on his PAK. "My name is Ezari, but I prefer to be called Ria. I am six Irken years old, still a smeet. But I bet I've been through more than most of you. The sapphire eyes put me on Earth, a horrible place for one who doesn't belong. I was starved, brutally beaten, forced to live on the streets, sometimes hanging on to a thread of life. These experiences have opened my eyes. I know what it's like to live without the comfort of the Empire to fall back on if things go wrong. I know what it's like to feel. I've felt sorrow, fear, longing, pity, I've felt hate. But I have learned many things from my life. I know things you, Irkens of the Empire, wouldn't even contemplate. And..." she looked away from the crowd for a moment, "I know the secret of the PAKs."

The crowd gasped. Red and Purple both flinched. "What?"

"The secret of the PAKs. And I'm not talking about something that can be easily found. I thank the filth I was covered in at the moment I had learned. We reproduce by cloning, but has that simply killed out our reproductive abilities? The answer is no. Even if we are cloned, we still retain our abilities to have smeets. So why don't we? Because we can't feel love and thus can't find mates? Again, no. Defectives can feel emotions, but they still can't have smeets. So what is the answer to this? What is the secret of the PAKs? I'll tell you! The sporos!"

Red and Purple were so genuinely shocked, it became obvious they didn't know what she was talking about.

"I had been kicked into a gutter after found sleeping in a restaurant vent. I was thoroughly coated in dirt, every bit of me. A few days later, I had never had a chance to rid myself of the dirt, the water is too polluted. I saw it. Little specks of white that emitted from my PAK. Spores, I call them sporos. After going through every aspect I could come up with, I figured it out and tested it with street animals. These sporos that come from our PAKs, they kill our abilities to have smeets. The voice in my head said that the Brains couldn't control who I was. And they can't. And if you take a chance, you'll realize they can't control you either."

The Tallest looked absolutely horrified. Once Ria slipped down from Red's shoulder, he was craning his neck to look at his PAK. "All this time," he whispered.

* * *

After the chamber had cleared out, all the Irkens off to different military planets, Ria and Alpha group remained behind. The departing Irkens had had looks of pure horror on their faces. They didn't think about having smeets because the Control Brains didn't let them, but the fact that their abailites to produce young was being withheld was shocking.

Ria was looking up at the hologram chart of the marked planets. She was sitting on the platform, hands gripping her feet in a cute fashion. Her gold eyes scanned the chart until she caught the note on the wall. She got up and went over to the sticky note. She stared at it for the longest time. She backed up and looked up at the chart once. She reached into her pant pocket and pulled out the camera. Backing away a bit more, she took a picture.

Red and Purple approached them at the platform. "We've decided it's best for all of you to not be within enemy reach. You must hide out until the battle plans are made."

"That's fine," Ria waved her hand. "We'll just go back to Earth."

Red gave her a funny look. "You sure you want that? We can hide you on an Irken inhabited planet."

"Nah, home is where the PAK is. As long as they're with me," she indicated her friends, "I'm fine. Besides, Dib and Gaz need to go home and we left Minimoose behind."

"Is that what you all agree upon?"

Tenn and Zee seemed to be giving it some thought. "We've never been to Earth, it might be fun."

"I'll go," said Tak, "But Zim better mind his damn business and tongue and ego and-"

"Shut up!" Zim shouted.

* * *

Alpha group was given a transport ship to get back to Earth. It was large enough to house all of them and tow the Voots. Tak's ship had been destroyed in the black hole bomb.

Tenn spun around in a pilot chair. "Just a lazy glide. We'll be there in twenty four hours."

Dib stopped her spinning, causing her to fall off. "Why don't we use boosters and actually get there in less than a day?" He sat in the chair and started playing around with the controls.

"Dib-stink!" Zim pulled him away, "You don't know what you toy with! It's on autopilot, keep it that way!"

Gaz, Zee, and Ria were playing cards. GIR was running around and rolling on the floor, trying to get a thoroughly pissed MiMi to join him. Skoodge and Tak were watching Zim now tackle Dib. There wasn't much else to do.

"Okay," said Zim after he had successfully pried Dib off the chair, "Zim says we should sleep to pass the time."

Ria smirked. "And so we aren't awake to rip each other to shreds."

"Precisely! Off to the bunks!" he went down the hall down that straight legged march.

"He bounces back quickly after discovering his whole meaning in life was a lie."

* * *

The bunks were rectangular beds carved into the wall, two rows on top of each other. Everyone claimed their own, except Tenn and Zee, who claimed the same one. The two were like sisters after the time they had spent together. GIR had been shut down to keep him from annoying the hell out of everyone. Zim had just tossed him on a random bunk. MiMi, albeit reluctantly, shut down on the same bunk.

Ria stared at the ceiling of her bunk. "I don't really mind going back to Earth. I'm not gonna be on the streets no more."

There was silence.

"Zim I destroyed your base, which you know, shorted your computer and lab, and set free your robot bee," said Tak.

"You little-!"

"Be quiet!" said Gaz.

Tenn and Zee both giggled.

* * *

Ria woke up to the sound of sobbing. She could hear snoring. Everyone was asleep, except one. She got out of her bunk and looked around. Tak.

"You alright?"

The amethyst female was huddled on her bunk, tears streaming down her face. "I saw it. I saw your past. It...it was so horrible. The starvation, the cold, the burning rain, the beatings. Why would you want to go back?"

"Because no matter what, I never hated the humans. Don't know why. You dreamed my memories?"

"It _is_ your PAK."

Ria crawled up into her bunk. "But that isn't my life now. I have all of you." She curled up beside her and fell asleep.

* * *

I made up the sporos and what they do. They will show up later in the story.


	22. Base

Base

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

It was night, so no one saw the transport ship hovering above what was left of Zim's house. Zim was routing through the rubble.

"Minimoose!"

"Squeak!" the little moose floated out of the hole in the floor.

"We're moving base. Get me Computer's AI chip."

As he did so, Zim pulled out a controller from his PAK. After fiddling with it, the house rubble began to mold back together and disappear. Once Minimoose was back with the chip, the lab closed up and the whole base reverted back to the little drill. Zim picked it up and returned to the transporter with Minimoose.

"So, where are we going?"

"Just go to the wienie stand," said Dib. "It's big enough for all of you."

Tak shrugged. "He's got a point, and it's already stocked with everything we need. The Tallest can call at any time. And these two know where it is," she pointed to Dib and Gaz. "It's perfect."

"Fine, but this," Zim held up the AI chip, "is getting installed once we get there."

Tak looked down at the chip. "There's nothing wrong with _my_ computer."

"Except from being made by you," he muttered.

"You son of a-!"

"Please let him install it," Ria spoke up. "I like Computer, he was always helpful to me."

Tak's eyes visibly softened. "Fine, install the chip."

* * *

"This place is incredible!"

The hover plates weren't around anymore, lifting packages and equipment. But the pure size of the wienie stand was enough to impress Ria. She was running up and down catwalks, thankfully not tripping over her jacket.

"Okay," Dib checked his watch. "This has been fun, but apparently we've been missing for three days in Earth time. And it's midnight...and we have skool. I think we should go, Gaz."

"Fine, but I get to break in the giant screen TV for video games."

"Agreed!" Ria called from one of the catwalks above them.

The two turned to leave, but Zim blocked their path. "Can Zim call you comrades and trust in your cooperation and keep your mouths shut, or will Zim have to make you?"

Ria slid down a trash chute, but there was nothing to catch the trash at the bottom, so she just fell out on the walk. "Of course you can trust them! We're Alpha group! And I didn't know the Skool could rebuild itself so fast. See ya!"

GIR stood completely still, not moving a wire.

"What did you do?" Zim asked.

"Nothing."

The transport ship suddenly shot up through the roof and into the sky.

"Did you push auto-pilot?"

"Maybe."

Tenn sighed. "Okay, now we're stuck here. When the time comes to leave, we'll need to call the Tallest and have them send us a ship."

Ria silently watched as a chunk of roof fell all the way down... and hit Zim. The magenta eyed Irken fell flat on the floor.

Zee's antennae stood straight up. "Oh great Irk, I think it killed him!"

She was proven wrong as he sat up and rubbed his head. "There's a bump. I hope my wig will stay on."

"Your wig?" said Tak. "You're still gonna go out in public?"

"Yes! Zim must retain appearance at the rebuilt Skool so as not to draw suspicion!" He got and marched away, leaving the others standing there.

"Life's gonna suck and be interesting at the same time."

* * *

Despite the loud sounds and bright lights, Dib was drifting off to sleep. His head was lying on his desk, exhaustion making his neck weak. His dad hadn't even noticed he and Gaz were gone. He turned his head to regard Zim on the other side of the room. So much had changed in the time they had been off Earth. He now realized that Zim wasn't a threat to Earth, and found they were both outcasts in their societies. Well, not anymore. Zim was sort of being force accepted by all Irkens because he was Ria's most trusted guard.

"Hey Zim!" Zita tugged at his sleeve. "Where'd you get those scars?"

"Sit down and shut your mouths!" Ms. Bitters signaled the start of class.

The kids, a fit of terror, rushed to their seats. Someone passed in front of Dib, but he was too tired to see who it was. Zim's expression turned to one of shock. Groaning slightly, Dib picked up his head and turned to see who it was. Tak, in a different blue and gray outfit, was sitting in her assigned seat behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Having some fun," she replied, "look at him."

They both looked back at Zim, who was still open mouthed and unbelieving at what he saw.

"Zim I said shut your mouths!" growled Ms. Bitters. "Today's lecture will be about-"

There was a hard tap on the door.

"What is it?" the creepy teacher was obviously losing her temper.

The door cracked open. A little face peered around the room. Dib, Tak, and Zim's jaws all fell open. Ria, in her disguise, walked through the door, followed by Skoodge, Tenn, and Zee, all disguised. Skoodge had on a black wig that fell flatter than Zim's and blue lenses. Tenn and Zee had holograms, so their skin was normal. Both had brown hair pulled into ponytails. They were completely identical, except one had green lenses, the other had brown.

Ria waved her sleeve covered hand. "Hi! I'm Ria, Zim's little sister. This is Skoodge."

"And we're Tenn and Zee!" the two said as cheerfully possible. "We're Zim, Ria, and Skoodge's twin cousins!"

"Why are you here?" Ms. Bitters lazily growled.

"We're here to see the Skool!" Ria swung her sleeves above her head.

Ms. Bitters snarled. "Fine, you'll all need places to sit."

Thankfully, three seats were open from two kids transferring schools and one kids transferring counties. To avoid someone being plummeted into the dark abyss of the underground classes, Ria dragged a chair next to Zim and shared his desk.

Ms. Bitters regarded the whole class with a stare that sent shivers down spines. "Will there be anymore interruptions? No? Good. Now onto the lesson."

* * *

"You're all fools!"

Nobody found it strange that Zim's supposed family would sit with him at lunch, but they were surprised to see Dib, Gaz, and Tak sit with them.

"We're not going to hang out in the wienie stand all hours of the day and all days of the week and so on," said Tak. "It just won't work. I don't like being confined, knowing I can't go anywhere else."

Some kids were wondering how someone as ugly and weird as Zim could have such an adorable little sister.

"This...doesn't look edible," Tenn poked at her food. "Where are the snacks? What is this?"

"It's supposed to be lunch," said Dib. "But I'm beginning to question whether the cooks can actually do their jobs."

"What's lunch?"

Ria spoke up. "I got this. Humans don't have PAKs to feed them all the nutrients they need, so they need constant food. Humans have three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And maybe a little snacking in between."

"Wow," Tenn sounded intrigued, "humans only rely on food?"

"Yep," said Dib, "we don't have PAKs, so we eat to get our vitamins, nutrients, and the energy to make it through the day."

"We eat cuz we want to," Zee stated.

"Be quiet!" Zim shouted. "Are all of you going to continue coming here?"

Tenn shrugged. "Why not? It'll be interesting."

Zim growled deeply. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"Look who's talking," Tak muttered.

* * *

I wanted to keep Computer cuz I luv him. He's voiced by Jhonen, the creator.


	23. Rosies Are Red

Rosies Are Red

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Six certain Irkens lived together comfortably and without too many fights. Six certain Irkens had adopted a regular sleeping schedule to keep themselves ready and active. Six certain Irkens didn't need an alarm clock.

"Make him shut up!" Tak's voice was muffled by her pillow, which she had stuffed her head under.

It was approximately six in the morning. For whatever possible reason, GIR was running up and down the catwalks screaming his head off. The dorm, as their sleeping room was called, had once been a storage room, and their beds had been shelves carved into the wall like the transport ship. Ria had claimed a top bunk over Tak's, which had actually not been accepted by everyone. Zim had frantically tried to change her mind and take the one over his. The females had grouped together and discussed why he was so protective. Zee thought he was still rivaling with Tak and didn't want Ria near her. But later they all agreed he just taking his new duties to heart.

Something banged loudly and echoed as it fell. Ria was lying on her back, her hands folded on her chest. "Maybe he's upset by something."

"Yeah, that he lacks a brain." Zim slipped out of his bunk and disappeared through the doorway. After a moment of thought, Ria ran after him.

The little SIR unit continued to run on the walks, screaming bloody murder.

Zim tripped him as he came by. "What could it possibly be?"

GIR jumped back onto his feet. "The sun's gone!"

Zim pinched the skin between his eyes. "GIR...we've been over this. The sun's not gone, it's nighttime. Well, it's six in the morning, the sun will come up soon. Stop screaming."

GIR smiled happily. "Okay!"

The two Irkens retreated back to the dorm.

Tak was sitting up in her bed. "If he does it again, can I kill him?"

"Be my guest." Zim only crawled in halfway, his legs sticking out from under the blanket.

* * *

No one appeared from the dorm until three and a half hours later. Ria wandered out, stretching her arms as high as they would go. She wore an old nightshirt Gaz had given her. Her jacket was being cleaned, it was way too filthy to wear right now.

"Computer? Did GIR mess with my stakes?"

"No. He just broke a window."

"Alright, thanks." Ria took a ramp to the lower floor. It was here she had stakes and ribbons around a large plot of dirt. She had removed a large chunk of the floor and filled it with soil. She was going to to indoor gardening. Only a single rose plant from Zim's base had been recovered.

_This will be a good thing for the others as well. Tak already seems interested. I only need to keep GIR away._

"Computer, would it be any trouble to do a forcefield whenever GIR comes near the garden?"

"Not at all. Can I zap him too?"

"Not too much, he's mental as it is." Ria scooped up some dirt and let it fall through her fingers. She looked over at the center of the plot. Her single rose plant was there.

"When's that thing supposed to bloom like in the pictures?" Tenn joined her at the plot.

"It'll take a while. We have to fool nature. It's winter outside, but we'll trick the plants into thinking it's warm enough to prosper in here."

Tenn nodded. She seemed deep in thought about something. Suddenly, she removed her gloves and pressed her fingers into the dirt. Ria almost gasped. _This is good! They're becoming more comfortable here._

The sound of the doorbell ringing echoed throughout the building.

"I wanna get it!" GIR fell from above and rushed to the secret opening.

Ria watched him go. "I didn't know there was a doorbell over there."

GIR came running back into sight with a package balanced on his head. Tak emerged from the dorm to grab the package that GIR was running with. "Where'd you get this?"

"It was at the door!"

She set it down and opened it. "Ria! The Tallest sent you a new PAK. And I got a new uniform."

Abandoning the plot, the two females rushed up to the catwalk to see the package. Indeed, a purple uniform, just like Tak's old one, and a new standard PAK, just like Ria's old one.

Ria picked up her new PAK. "And I have a surprise for you. GIR!"

The SIR unit jumped to attention. "Yes Ri-Ri?"

"Purple please and the circles."

A can of spray paint and a piece of paper with circles cut into shot from his head. Ria took the paper and placed the right sized hole over the spots on Tak's PAK and prayed the paint. "I'm turning it purple for you. Pink doesn't work very well with your color scheme. You gotta have an artist's mind for this kind of stuff."

What's this?" Tenn reached back into the box. She pulled out Tak's implant.

"That's mine!" She held the implant in her hands. "They...they fixed it." She fitted back over her head wound. "Do I look more normal now?"

"Oh yes, it was weird not seeing you with all your stuff."

* * *

"What's the use for plants anyway?" Zim complained. "All they do is take up space."

"But it's a wonderful thing to know that under your care, a little life will prosper," Ria reasoned.

"We've survived on Irk for hundreds of years without plants, they're useless."

Ria looked down at the plot. "That is true." _But someday, I will change that._

* * *

Really short and pointless, sorry.


	24. Family and Fieldtrips

Family and Field-trips

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"Why would we trip in a field? Unless it has rocks or something."

The class didn't seem to mind about Tenn's comment, but Ms. Bitters was annoyed. "It's almost Christmas break. The Skool principal has decided that this class will take a field trip to the Museum of Science and Other Stuff. These are your permission slips," the pieces if paper levitated on their own and handed themselves out, "If you try to sign it yourself, they will explode."

"Man I hate these!" Dib hissed.

"Yes Zee?" said Ms. Bitters.

The disguised Irken had her hand raised. "Ms. Bitters? What if your parents aren't here? Tenn and I are staying with our cousins."

"Then get your aunt or uncle or whoever's watching you to sign it! Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," she squeaked and slid down in her seat. Her ears began trembling. When in disguise, Zee's holographic ears would go through the seizures instead of her antennae.

"Have these signed and returned by Thursday, we go on Friday, the last day before break."

* * *

All of Alpha Group had their slips spread out on the table. Somehow Gaz had gotten a slip and the permission to go with her brother's class on their trip intead.

"You two are set," Ria said to Dib and Gaz. "But what about us?"

"Why should we even go?" said Tak.

"Don't you think it'll be fun?"

"Not really. There's nothing on this planet I really want to learn about, besides the rose." The small plant had sprouted a bud in the last week.

"C'mon! It'll be great."

"Are you going?"

"Yes, once I figure out a way around the slip."

Tak sighed. "Fine, I'll go."

"Then I'm coming too!" Zim immediately spoke up. It seemed the two were in constant competition for Ria's attention.

"I wanna come," said Tenn.

"I'll go too," said Zee.

"I guess I'll go," said Skoodge.

"Where we goin'?" GIR asked.

Ria stopped sorting through the permission slips and looked at him. "Sorry GIR, but I don't think doggies are allowed in the museum."

"Awwww!" the little robot whined.

"Well...we could take you in your little brother costume, but I don't think Ms. Bitters will give us another slip."

"Don't let him come," said Zim. "He'll destroy everything he touches."

"But that's what _you_ do," Dib pointed out.

"No fighting!" Ria commanded. She collected the unsigned slips together. She held them like a hand of cards, looking at each carefully. "There has to be a way around this."

"No, those things are pretty good at what they do," said Dib. "I have some experience in the matter."

"Butttt..." Ria pulled one out of her hand, "I think I just figured it out. We just need to clone the ink and stuff onto a paper that _doesn't _explode."

"Squeak!" said Minimoose. (just cuz I wanted him there)

"Computer! Think you can pull it off?"

"Of course," he sounded like he was bragging slightly.

* * *

"Good for you, you little doomed roaches," said Ms. Bitters. The stack of permission slips was on her desk. "You all did what you were assigned to do, for once. Bring your own lunch for tomorrow, the bus leaves at nine."

* * *

"This place smells," said Skoodge.

And the fact that the whole class of screaming kids was crammed on board didn't help. Alpha group had migrated to the back seats, Tak, Zim, and Gaz glaring anyone down who dared try to sit near the group.

"Hey Tenn! Zee!" said one of the popular girls up front. "You don't have to always sit with your family."

"We're comfortable," they replied at the same time.

All was quiet for a bit as the bus rolled down the bumpy street.

"What _is _a museum?" Zee asked.

"You're asking this _now?_" said Dib.

* * *

The museum seemed intelligent enough. It wasn't falling apart or decrepit like other buildings in the city. The only problem was, there wasn't anything that truly interested any of them.

"I could see this being true." Tak was looking at the exhibit about the evolution of man. Ria started snorting with laughter. The amethyst female was yanked backward suddenly. Zim was dragging her by her tailcoat. "Can I help you with something!"

"You have to see this!" He dragged her into the next corridor.

"What could it possibly be? Zim, let go! At least let me walk!"

Curious, the rest of Alpha group followed.

Unfortunately, Zim hadn't let Tak walk. In fact, he had ran to the exhibit, causing her to not be able to keep her feet on the ground. So, once they got there, he promptly dropped her.

"Look," he pointed to the exhibit.

Tak was too shocked to be mad at him. Behind the red boundary rope, were pieces of an Irken shuttle. The symbol said so.

"Why is this here?" she whispered in wonder.

Ria gasped and covered her mouth with her sleeve. "That's _my _shuttle. That's what I got here in."

"Wait," said Dib, "This thing's been here forever. As far back as I can remember. You're younger than me."

"Technically no," Ria held out her hand in front of his face. "I am six _Irken _years old, that translates to sixty _Earth_ years. I am older than you in years alive, but you are older than me in maturity."

"Really?" he turned to the other Irkens. "Then how old are you guys really?"

"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, that area," said Zim.

"You're all in your hundreds."

Zim ignored him and turned back to the shuttle. "We have to get this out of here. Irken technology does not belong in human hands."

"But Zim," said Ria, "it doesn't work anymore."

"That doesn't matter Ezari, they could still manage to do something." He ducked under the red rope.

"Are you crazy?" Tak grabbed him by the back of his uniform and pulled him back. "You'll get arrested for trying to take it."

"But we must get it back!"

"Zim, it doesn't work, it's just scrap metal now. What could they do with it?"

Zim crossed his arms like a pouting child. "Zim is staying until lockdown. When the coast is clear, Zim will take it."

Ria sighed. "Will Ms. Bitters notice if we don't return?" she asked Dib.

"Actually, the bus left us. When we're bored, we can go home on our own. It is Christmas break."

"Okay, we'll stay until right before lockdown, then take the shuttle and go."

* * *

Turns out, there's lots of place to hide in a museum. And the guards at lockdown weren't very observant.

Zim extended his PAK communicator. "GIR! Bring me a tow vehicle."

"Yes sir!" his voice crackled over the communicator.

Within a few minutes, a skylight overhead shattered as the tow vehicle lowered itself inside the building. GIR and MiMi were on board.

"Hi master!" the blue SIR unit waved wildly. "The kitty came along!"

"GIR, be quiet!" Zim hissed. "The guards will hear."

"Okay!"

Tenn and Zee loaded the scraps of the shuttle onto the tow. Everyone climbed aboard with Zim at the head.

"Maybe somebody else should drive," said Tak.

"Zim is perfectly fine to drive!" he argued. After a few moments of metal preparation, he had the tow go forward. It suddenly shot off and shattered the glass of one of the exhibits. The alarm started blaring loudly.

"Zim!" Dib shouted. "Why can't you drive the simplest thing?"

"Be quiet!" The tow was jerky. It would shoot off at top speed, then pause, then do it again. They ended up crashing into another pane of glass.

"I think I got whiplash," Ria rubbed the back of her neck.

Bullets buried themselves into the tow. Alpha group looked down the hall to see a couple guards with guns drawn.

"That ain't good," said Gaz.

"Floor it!" Ria shouted.

Zim didn't know what the heck she was talking about, but he directed the tow and shot off down the hall. Everyone clung to the safety rails, desperate not to fall off. The tow was a streak as it flew through the now broken doors. It crashed into the building across the street, throwing its passengers off. They all lay on the sidewalk, groaning in pain.

"Zim," Tak moaned, "once my spine is straight again and I can stand, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Don't get my hopes up." But he helped her to her feet nonetheless. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

no offense to anyone out there, but I do believe in the evolution of man. And I figured the Irkens would too.


	25. Military Minds

Military Minds

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Christmas break had begun. No news from the Tallest had come yet. They were all still stuck with just the Voots.

"Not that I'm complaining." Ria and Gaz were sitting in beanbag chairs, playing video games on the big screen and eating chips.

As of late, the weather was taking a cold turn. The Irkens did their best not be outside too long. They could survive, they just didn't like it. There wasn't really a seasonal cycle on Irk. They just lazed around, doing whatever they wanted. Gaz had spent the night last night, but, strangely enough, Dib hadn't come with her.

"Where is your brother?" Ria asked.

"Dad sent him away," Gaz didn't take her eyes off the screen.

"To where?"

"Military school."

"WHAT? !" Ria paused the game and threw her controller on the floor. "Military school? Why would he do that?"

"He said it might straiten out his insanity. Personally, I don't think it'll work."

"Of course it won't work! You two are hanging out with aliens! What school?"

She pulled out a handy pamphlet from her pocket. "B.W.A.B."

"B.W.A.B.?" The smeet took the given pamphlet. It said 'Brain Washing Academy for Boys'. She perked an antennae, feeling the dead half brush the back of her head. "But it's winter! And this is an outdoor camp! Dib's a city person, he won't survive this!"

"Yeah, he can't even get out of a mall parking garage," Gaz reached over to unpause the game on Ria's controller.

"Stop that! We have to go get him, the Tallest could call at anytime. If they send for us and Dib's not here, we'll have to leave him behind."

"There's a thought."

"ZIM!"

There was a thudding of feet outside the room. Zim and Tak both burst through the doorway.

"What is it, Ezari?"

"Her dad," she pointed at Gaz, "sent Dib to a military school! We gotta go get him!"

Tak raised an antennae. "Military school? Like the Academy and Devastis?"

"Sorta. We gotta get him out!"

* * *

The two Voots were parked on top of Gaz's house.

"Why are we here again?" Skoodge asked.

"We need to remain discreet," Ria explained. "So we'll actually go into the camp. But we need some files with Dib's name all over them to convince the people there to release him to us. We'll be back!" She climbed out and followed Gaz into the house. "You sure your dad won't mind that we're stealing from him?"

"He never notices, but here's a thought. Let the school straiten Dib out."

"It won't work, it'll never work, deal with it. Where do we go?"

Gaz led her into the laboratory part of the house. Odd machines and wires and tools were everywhere. In the corner was a filing cabinet that was full, seeing as how more files were piled on top of it.

"We'll probably find something here," Gaz pulled open a drawer to the cabinet. "Probably just a health record will work. As long as it looks official and has Dib's name all over it, the administrators of the school will fall for it."

Ria climbed on top of the cabinet, using the drawers as a stair step. She balanced on the rim of the top drawer and routed through it. "Don't you guys have any personal records? Of family trees perhaps?"

"I wouldn't know." Gaz set a pile of folders on the floor. "I never bothered to look."

Ria pulled out a curious file. It was gray instead of peach like the others. A scientific seal was stamped on the cover. And the words spelling out some grant of some kind. _I'm curious, I'm curious, I won't look. _She tried to put it back, but her fingers wouldn't let go. She opened it and shoved her face inside. Boring looking papers of charts and notes.

**'The subject is prospering. Will soon be moved to a bigger tube.'**

**'He is excited. This one survived the trial period. It might live.'**

The smeet kept scanning her eyes over the words and charts, making the slightest comprehension of what it all meant. "How old is Dib?"

"Eleven," Gaz didn't even look up.

"Did you guys ever know your mother?"

"Come to think of it...no, we didn't. It's just always been dad."

Ria looked the papers over one more time, everything piecing together. She let out a shriek. She clamped the folder shut and hugged it to her chest, but, in doing so, lost her balance on the rim and tumbled backward. Thankfully, Gaz was a soft landing.

"Ouch...why did you fall on me?"

"Because I just found out something that could change how you two see the world."

"Interesting, let me see."

"No!" Ria held the folder tightly. "You'll see it when Dib does. You'll all see it."

"We can use this." Gaz held up a hospital release form. "This from when the Skool burned down. The print's tiny, so the administrators won't bother."

"Good. Let's go."

* * *

He was sure it was cold enough to snow. The biting winds that blew by every once in a while had numbed his skin to the point he could rip it off and not feel a thing. And, of course, the fresh coating of wet mud didn't help much. The camp just had crappy tents for shelter. Everything else was out in the open. It was pure torture, supposed to set him straight. All the other kids here were delinquents. You would think they would be interested whenever someone new showed up, wondering what they did and place them into the pecking order. But no, when they learned that Dib was there because he was "insane", they cast him out. He wasn't even the lowest in the pecking order. The omega kids were higher up than he was.

_I'll just lye here and die._

The entire camp was surrounded by a fence with barb wire, so no one was going anywhere. During free time, the kids just ran free all over the property. And it was here, in the muddy field, that our favorite scythe haired kid stared at the sky while on his back in the mud. Sometimes other kids would pass, but they'd pay him no heed. Dib shut his eyes.

_Even though it'll beat my past self up, I wish Zim and the others were here. At least I know them and they understand me...somewhat._

He opened his eyes and...came face to face with a disguised Ria.

"You got sleepies in your eyes, Dib."

He used a gentle hand to push her away. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he picked himself up from the mud.

"We're here to take you home. Gaz told me where you were and we got all of Alpha group here to help."

"But why?"

"Because you're one of my guards, and nothing on Irk or Earth will change that. Let's go Dibbers."

"Good thing you showed up now. The barber's been sick the past few days, but he's okay now. They were gonna shave my head today."

She led him out of the muddy field and started back to the tents. But they didn't get far. "What's going on?"

Tak and Zim were sheltered behind a rock with GIR and MiMi. Tenn was up a tree, Zee was lying on her stomach under a bush, Skoodge had his back to a tree stump, and Gaz...was just standing there. All of them, except Gaz of course, were coated in mud.

"Those mud-eaters attacked us!" Zim shouted.

"Yeah," Dib rubbed the back of his head, "They'll do that. They play War all the time. Thankfully, they just ignore my existence."

Ria narrowed her eyes. "War? I'm guessing mud is ammunition?"

"Yep."

"Hmm. This may be a good opportunity to train. Let's teach these kids some lessons."

Zim looked overjoyed. "Causing suffering? Yes!"

* * *

The delinquents waited on the field. The visitors were sheltered in the forest. The leader, a monster of a child, grinned.

"They're not coming out! Get out here you wusses!"

He was silenced by a rock chucked at his head. Stones rained down on them. Most picked up the lesser kids and used them as shields. Ria jumped out of shelter and rushed onto the battle field. There was a malicious look in her eyes. Tenn and Zee emerged, using the ribbons used to tie back their holographic hair as slings. The others were throwing the rocks, but Zim was calling for Ria to come back, this obviously not part of the plan.

"Hey!" said one of the kids. "They're using rocks! That's not fair!"

Despite her small size, Ria tackled him. He lay face down in the mud, the smeet planting her foot on the back of his head. "If you're going to start a war, be ready for war and its consequences!" Another kid tried to grab her, but she spun and slammed a rock into his face. The boy cried in pain as his nose bled. Ria threw her elbow into his stomach to knock him away. Two more, a boy and a girl, converged together. Ria pushed her hands into their faces and climbed over them, pushing them into the ground. The smeet's eyes sparkled through her lenses with an excitement unlike any other. "Try and beat me! Try if you can!"

She realized through her haze of bliss, that Alpha group had stopped and were staring at her in horror.

**_Ria, you're doing it again._**

_I don't mean too!_

_**It's okay little one. I know your secret, as your oldest memory.**_

_Are you the sapphire eyes?_

_**Fight Ria, fight the want. This is not who you are. You can blame me for what this is.**_

_How can I blame you? Whatever did you do?_

_**This is the small part of you that the Control Brains can reach, the only payment that SHE took. SHE wanted some way to control you, and this is it. When you are filled with the bloodlust, the thrill of fighting, the Control Brains take your mind. Fight it Ria! Fight it and be free! Don't let them take you!**_

* * *

The smeet opened her eyes. She was lying on her back.

_I must have fainted._

"Ria?"

Alpha group was peering down at her. Zim was horrified, and Tak looked a little scared.

"Are you okay?" Tak extended her hand to the smeet.

Ria sat up on her own, feeling a wave of grief engulf her. The kids she had injured were being herded away by their peers. Tears slipped out of her eyes. She held up her arms to Tak. "Carry me."

Tak picked her up. The smeet curled her arms around her neck and began sobbing. Alpha group hurriedly left the battleground, flashed the hospital record at the guards, and raced off into the woods outside the camp. The Voots were parked among the trees.

"I'm sorry."

They all slid to a halt at the sound of Ria's voice.

"That...that's a secret I've kept for a while. That...mood I can get into. I'm vicious, I'm ruthless, I'm angry. I call it Bad Ria."

Tak patted the smeet's head. "But you have a new PAK."

"It doesn't matter. _I'm _defective, my PAK never was."

Everyone was quiet until Tenn tentatively spoke up, "Ria, can we see the file now?"

The smeet slipped out of Tak's arms. She unzipped her jacket to reveal the folder, tied to her chest. She handed it to Dib. "You'll want to see this first."

His eyes scanned the papers, his expression becoming more and more shocked. Tenn and Zee leaned closer to him to read over his shoulders, but he dropped the file. "I'm...I'm an experiment?"

The two females picked up the folder. "Hey!" said Tenn cheerfully. "You were born in a tube! I wonder what your robot arm was like? We love ours so much!"

"That actually makes sense," said Gaz. "It was always only dad around."

Dib looked over at her. "Gaz, aren't you upset at all? We're experiments! We're not humans!"

"So?"

His arms went limp. "I don't trust the world anymore."

Zim hastily looked around. "It's not safe here. Get in the Voots."

They all crammed inside the two Voots and started off home.

* * *

_The Bad in me_

_The Bad in me_

_The part of my soul, that people can't see._

_The innocence of my face, it lies_

_What truly is buried beneath those eyes?_

_A tortured soul that's no longer bare_

_But the Bad in me will always be there.  
_

* * *

For those of you who don't know, 'sleepies' are those eye crust things that are in your eyes after you wake up from a long sleep.

I like the fact that though it's a military school, no one's watching the kids really. Or training and sending them through drills.

I'm establishing 'Bad Ria', sort of a split personality. Bad Ria is a small part of Ria's mind that the Control Brains can reach, usually triggered when she's angry or really sad. It can also be known as her 'War Mood' as you can see, she fights really badass when she's Bad Ria. It'll be better explained in future chapters and tie into the storyline.


	26. Acid Rain

Acid Rain

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"Go up! UP! Now down! Jump him, stomp on his head!" Ria was getting very emotional about this. She was standing on the couch, enacting what the character was supposed to do.

Zim was doing his best, but video games weren't his strong point. "This game cheats!"

"No! You're just bad at it!"

"SILENCE!"

"Minimoose! Don't you agree?"

"Squeak!"

"Traitor!" Zim shouted at him.

"You're gonna die! You're gonna die!-"

The screen went dark.

Zim snarled. "Hey! What is the meaning of this? ! No one interrupts Zim!"

Ria fell on the couch. "You were sucking anyway."

"Be quiet!"

The screen turned to an Emergency Alert on the news. "This just in!" said the announcer. "Meteorologists have confirmed something terrible!" He paused for about a minute. Someone spoke off camera. The announcer looked shocked. "Oh? They want to hear about it? Okay, you're the boss. At five this afternoon, acid rain will fall. This particular phenomena is the result of the water pollutants accumulating together and releasing in one burst. All people are advised to put up their house shields and stay in cover. That is all."

Zim threw down his controller. "Acid rain? What else falls from the sky on this wretched dirtball?"

Ria looked over at the clock. "That's in less than an hour. We better warn everyone."

"Eh, probably."

Tak poked her head into the room. "Ria! Come look at this."

* * *

Inside the equipment room, lying on the table, was Tak's newest invention.

"It's a rocket booster for my PAK."

"Have the weapons finally been responding to you?"

"Not yet, but I've gotten the communicator out about three times. This thing will respond because I'll add it in. It'll be an original."

Zim and Tak had made a pact to spend more time with Ria. Ever since Bad Ria's episode, three days ago, both were afraid she could slip back into it. Since their company made her really happy, they decided to interact more with her. They had usually left her to her own devices before. And also in doing so, they tolerated each more.

Ria looked out the window. "Christmas is almost here. We're gonna have so much fun! We'll eat candy canes and bake cookies, can we get a tree?"

GIR walked in, drinking a SuckMunkey. He didn't say anything, he just noisily slurped up his drink. To a point of brain-killing annoyance, he finally stopped. "Hi!"

"Hello GIR," said Ria. "Enjoying that drink?"

He bobbed his head up and down wildly. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Building stuff. Why don't you go see MiMi?"

"Kitty doesn't like me bein' 'round her no more."

"I wonder why?" Tak said to herself.

"What's this thing?" GIR jumped up on the table. He grabbed the booster and began chewing on it.

"No GIR!" Tak swiped at him. "Don't eat it!"

The booster activated, blasting GIR with fire full on in his face. The booster flew at the window, flew _through_ the window, and whizzed around erratically before falling into the concrete jungle.

"GIR! Why did you do that? ! I needed that thing!"

"I don't know." Then he ran from the room, laughing like a manic freak.

Tak growled. "Now I have to go get it! Stay here, I'll be back."

Ria looked out the shattered window. The smoke trail from the booster was still in the air, but it was being blown away fast. And gray clouds were rolling in unnaturally quickly. The kind of gray clouds that foretold something bad weather-wise. Ria suddenly screamed and dashed out of the room. "TAK! TAK! TAK! YOU CAN'T GO OUTSIDE!" She tried to slide to a halt when Skoodge walked out from a branch hallway.

"Ria?" She slammed into him, but failed to knock him down. "What's wrong?"

"I have to warn Tak! She went outside! The acid rain's coming!" She took off down the hall, leaving Skoodge greatly confused. Ria grabbed the safety rail before she could tumble off the catwalk. She looked down, desperately trying to see if the amethyst female was still inside the wienie stand.

"Ezari? Why were you running and screaming?" Zim was walking along the catwalk toward her. He was snacking from a bag of chips.

"Tak went outside! She went to go get her booster after it flew out the window! We have to warn her! The hour's almost up!"

Zim's eyes narrowed. He handed his chips off to Ria. "Stay here."

* * *

Tak activated her disguise and stepped outside. The sky was darkening very quickly. _I better do this quickly. I don't like the looks of the sky._ The smoke trail had been blown away. The wind picked up dramatically. Tak hugged herself in an attempt to stay warm. Shivers ran down her spine as the biting gust stung her face. _Stupid winter._ She took off at a loping run, attempting to keep her arms around herself as she did. Since the trail was gone, she only had a general idea in what direction to go. The streets were eerily empty. _I realize the nights are longer and come earlier during the wintertime, but this place is like a ghost town. Why would everyone be off the streets this early?_

She wandered down alleys and streets, searching for her rocket booster. _Damn you, GIR! I will murder you! _She kicked a trash can in her frustration. It fell and rolled down the alley, dumping its contents as it went. As she watched it roll, it passed by the object she was stressing over. The disguised Irken avoided the trash and picked up her booster. "This is gonna be fun fixing."

The sound of an empty can being kicked made her instantly wary. She turned her head slowly to see two men standing in the alley, blocking her way back to the street. They looked ragged and dirty, probably hobos.

"Can I help you with something?" she spat.

"This here's our alley. You can't take that whatever-it-is out of here."

"Wanna bet?"

"If it's here, it's ours. Give it here."

A low rumble of thunder echoed across the sky.

Tak looked down at the booster and looked back up at the men. "Yeah...how about this? I take this...and you go away?"

"That ain't gonna work girlie." The two advanced on her.

Tak gritted her teeth. On instinct, she immediately willed for her weapons. Nothing happened. _Crap!_

Lightning flashed and the thunder boomed almost instantly after it. The two hobos flinched, looked up at the sky, then ran for it.

"Wimps!" Tak called after them, feeling triumphant.

A raindrop fell beside her. Tak looked down at the wet spot. She wasn't worried. When the Irkens had come back to Earth, Zim had shared his paste with them. Rain was nothing. Another drop fell on her shoulder. A burning pain shot through her whole body. Tak shrieked and pressed her hand to her injured shoulder, dropping the booster in the process. _That's not supposed to happen!_

More drops began falling. In her haste to find cover, Tak slipped in the trash and fell on her back. Her hologram faded. A few raindrops fell on her face. Pain ripped through her as they trickled down. Her cries of pain echoed out of the alley. More rain fell into a shower. Tak dragged herself through the trash and pressed herself against one of the buildings. The rain fell on her legs as she moved, causing more agony to bolt through her. She collapsed in the spasms. Her eyes began to droop shut, the only way her body thought possible to escape the pain. Right before the darkness took her, she saw two legs in her line of sight, and two arms picked her up.

* * *

Amethyst eyes cracked open. The burning throbs made her whimper. She knew she wasn't in the alley anymore, she just didn't know where she was now.

"My job is to protect Ezari, not you too."

Tak turned her head, sending more twinges, enough to make her tremble. Zim was standing beside her, his arms crossed in annoyance.

"Sc...screw off."

"Is that any way to speak to the one who just saved your life?"

She was in the medical room, lying on one of the tables. She felt bare, but was covered by a white blanket. "I'll thank you when I stop feeling like this."

"Ah, yes." He reached into a small tub and pulled out a soaked rag. "This should help. Tenn and Zee had removed your uniform and bandaged the rest of your wounds. But we left the ones on your face because they're the worst." He began running the cloth over the parts that burned the worst on her face.

"How...how bad is it?"

"You'd expect worse." He set the rag down and went to retrieve a mirror. Tak regretted that action. The burning came back almost immediately. Once he was back, he put the mirror down and started using the rag again.

Tak looked up at him, more specifically, his forehead. The two long scars etched across his forehead, caused by her own claws. "I'm s-"

"Zim is sorry."

Tak was genuinely shocked.

"Zim is sorry for everything. Ruining your chances to be an Invader, then ruining your plan, then...blasting you into deep space." He set the rag down again and held up the mirror. A scar ran down beside her right antenna. Two more scars ran from the corners of her eyes, looking like tear stains. One last one ran down from beneath her left eye, near her beauty mark. The rain had burned into her skin.

Before she could respond, Ria and GIR burst through the door, closely followed by the others. Ria jumped up onto the table.

"I should've warned you! I'm a horrible person!" she began sobbing loudly. GIR began crying too, but it was unknown if he felt actual remorse or was just copying her.

"You didn't cause this," Tak reassured her. "Everything's okay."

"Cool scars," said Zee.

Tenn spoke up. "We've sent word via communicator to Dib and Gaz. They can't come over right now. The rain's still falling. Oh! And we got a message from the Tallest."

Tak turned her head toward her. "Really?"

"Yep. They've managed to recruit the Resisty and will have us sent for in four days."

"I wonder what they had to do to get the Resisty to join?" said Skoodge.

"Yes!" Ria cheered. "We can spend Christmas together!"


	27. Better than Last Year

Better Than Last Year

I am the voice of Dragons past

I like the title cuz technically 'last year' was the time Zim made the mutant Santa suit.

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

It seemed right from the start that today was going to be perfect. Why? Because six Irkens were greeted by snow upon their awakening. For once, the city looked beautiful.

"Soooo...what is it exactly?" Tenn and Zee were both wearing aprons and staring out the kitchen window.

"Frozen water." Ria, also wearing an apron, was mixing cookie dough while sitting on top of the table. "It turns into these white flakes and stick to the ground. Just don't touch it without gloves. It's so cold, it burns like fire. But it's also fun. You can make snow angels and build snowmen and have snowball fights."

"I wanna lick the bowl!" GIR cried.

"Not yet. We still need it."

Tenn sat in a chair at the table, which was barely used for eating. "What's Christmas about anyway?"

Ria rolled the cookie dough into little balls and placed them on the cookie sheet. "Families come together for a big dinner, and to see each other. They play, they sing, then exchange presents."

"Presents?"

"Yep, you know, gifts? Keepsakes?"

Zee began to looked excited. "It all happens tonight? Everything you've told us?"

"But no Santa!" Zim walked into the kitchen. "I've had enough of that fat pork-man! We can do everything else, but do NOT mention Santa!" Just by simply saying that creates an immense desire to see what would happen if they so much as mentioned the name.

"SANTA!" GIR screeched loudly.

The magenta eyed Irken swiped at him. GIR ran around the room, dodging his master all the while. He ran under the table and out of the room. Zim ducked under the table after him, but something strange happened. He hit his head.

"That's never happened before," he groaned, whilst lying on his back.

"Nice going, Lord of Crapness," said Ria, hanging over the edge to look at him. The look in her eyes told him she was kidding. "You're too big to duck under."

Zim sat up and rubbed his head. "Too big? But just months ago Zim was able to slip into places smaller than this."

"Yes, but you can't now. You're too big."

He stood up, looking down at his body curiously. He studied his arms and legs. "Big? ...I'm actually growing?"

"That's what 'too big' means in this situation. Hey, I'm putting the cookies in now. When it dings, can you take them out and put them on the cooling rack?"

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Outside. I'm gonna show Tenn and Zee the rules of snow. Can you do it?"

"Fine, whatever."

Tak walked into the kitchen with MiMi close behind. "Zim? Where's the salve? My scars are itching."

The magenta eyed male brushed himself off. "Zim will help you. Hang on a second."

Ria perked an antenna in curiosity. The two older Irkens had been aiding each other quite often lately. _Quite _often. If you wanted to find one of them, you'd always find the other in their company. They were also spotted retrieving items from the lower storage rooms... the secluded- not-many-people-go-down-there storage rooms.

_Okay, now I'm scaring myself. What, do I have a dirty split personality too? What'll I call that one? Smut Ria? Hi Smut Ria, I'm Bad Ria! Want to destroy our hostess' mind?_

But now, as she saw them side by side, she did see one curious fact. Zim _was _taller. If only by a tiny bit. But to the Irkens, that counts for a lot.

"Are we going?" said Zee. "Let's go! Let's go! I wanna touch snow!"

"Alright! Zim, ding, remember it. 'Kay?"

"Fine, fine!" He waved them out.

* * *

"What happened?" The scene before them was priceless. Tak was blocking her snorts of laughter with her hand, even MiMi looked amused. Zim was shouting curses and held an ice pack to his hand. "I only left you two for, what, twenty minutes? Did you manage to hurt each other in that time?" said Ria.

"Heck no, of course not!" Tak waved her hand, but there was still a large grin on her face. "But you may want to ask Captain Genius here what happened."

"Okay, what happened?" the smeet turned to Zim.

"Zim did what you said! Take the cookies out when it dings!"

"Did you use an oven mitt?"

There was an awkward silence before the four females cracked up laughing.

"It's not funny!" the magenta eyed male countered. "I burned my hand! Zim's pain personally went into the dish!"

Ria went over to the cooling rack and bit into a cookie. "Mmmm, you can really taste the pain."

"Silence! My skin tingles through to my bones!"

"Oh stop being such a baby," Tak got up from the table. "I'll help you. But, just for the record, the pain did make the cookies taste good."

"Shut up," he pouted.

* * *

Gaz and Dib showed up later, thankfully right before the snow picked up harder. Dib was dragging some equipment behind him on a sled.

"Why aren't you guys home?" Ria asked.

" 'Dad'," Dib put his name in air quotes, "was busy, so we just left."

"Dib...he's still your dad, ... on some level. Be happy for Irk's sake! _We_ never get to know who our parents are! Take that and call it a a win!"

"I will...someday...never." He picked up the equipment and took it up to the TV room.

Ria, left with Gaz on the lower level, went over her electronic checklist. "We'll watch the Christmas specials on TV while eating the cookies. Then talk about battle plans. Then bed. Then we rise for pick-up tomorrow morning." Her hand went limp. "It's all going to happen...tomorrow." She shook her head. "No! Let's celebrate tonight!"

"Please stop talking to yourself like Dib," said Gaz.

"I try. Let's go claim the bean bags before the others settle."

* * *

There were lots of cookies, but most of them went into GIR. The rest pretty much had to be rationed. Alpha group was in the TV room, spread out between couch, bean bag chair, and floor.

"These are good!" said Dib. "What's in them?"

"Zim's pain," Zee answered, then she and Tenn cracked up. "What's that stuff?" she asked after calming down, looking at Dib's equipment.

"A DNA tester. I want to know if it's true."

"Dib," Ria said softly, "I don't think the file is lying. Why would it?"

"I don't know! A huge prank? !"

Ria looked down at her hands. "I wish I had managed to get you a Christmas present."

Dib gave her a funny look. "You actually celebrate Christmas?"

"No, but I wanted this year to be special. We're all here together. I did get something us girls can share, but I hope the cookies are enough for you boys."

"It is!" said GIR, munching on three at the same time.

"What did you get for us girls?" Tak asked.

Ria pulled a small case from under the couch. She opened it up to reveal ribbons and tassels of different colors. Tenn and Zee both squealed in excitement. Tak picked up a blue hooped tassel. She felt and held it like it was the most delicate thing in the universe.

"We wear them on our antennae," Ria explained. She took the tassel and hung from Tak's antenna. "Tenn and Zee really like their ribbons, so I figured we could have a little fun."

Gaz groaned.

"Oh! I got something for you!"

"I'm not wearing a ribbon."

"Not a ribbon!" The smeet pulled out a black barrette. "See? It'll work 'cuz it's black! I also considered purple, but it wouldn't show up in your hair."

Gaz groaned again, but put the barrette in to make the smeet happy.

"See? You're gorgeous!"

Zim snickered, and was promptly punched by the purple haired girl. He held his hand to his new blackened eye and left the room for healing supplies. The Irkens females continued to sort through the pretties. Dib started disassembling the DNA tester. Skoodge joined the girls, holding a small mirror for them. Gaz ignored everyone and focused on the TV. GIR, MiMi, and Minimoose all stared at the screen. Once everyone was feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, Ria noticed something.

Tak was gone.

The smeet looked directly at MiMi, who pointed to the doorway. With a nod of thanks, the smeet left quietly so to not rouse suspicion. She wandered out to the catwalk. After a little thought, she started to the medical room. Tak's scars were maybe itching again, so she probably went to get more salve. As she approached the room, the smeet's antennae perked at the sound of voices. She went sneaky-style and peered into the room. Tak and Zim were in there. Tak was helping him apply the healing stuff to his black eye. The shimmering the lights did on her face proved she had just put on more salve.

_At least they're helping each other._

Ria strained her antennae to hear what they were saying. She raised them enough that the dead half brushed the top of her head.

"I don't know what to think," said Zim. "This has never happened before."

_What's never happened before?_

"I feel sick, weak actually. My squeedly spooch tightens and it hurts sometimes."

"When did this start?" Tak was searching through the cabinets for the medicine that would help.

"After Zim rescued you. It hurt to see you like that."

Ria blushed and turned her head away. _That idiot! He doesn't understand love? _She went back to eavesdropping.

"Well," Tak stopped looking through cabinets, "I thought maybe you had a spooch-ache, but it only happens when you see me?"

"When Zim looks at your scars. It hurts...so badly."

Tak looked down at the floor. "It hurts."

"What?"

_What?_

"It hurts me too, when I look at your scars. The ones I caused. I feel...regret, but also something else. Sadness...and pain."

"What Zim feels exactly!"

"I don't...I don't know what it is."

_C'mon Zim! _Ria mentally cheered. _Pull through! Show the love!_

As if urged by her cheer, Zim started toward Tak. "I've heard of something like this in the archives on humans. If what I read is correct, this should help the hurt." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a kiss.

Ria covered her mouth to stop herself from squealing.

They stopped kissing, but kept their heads close together. "Did it stop?" Zim asked. "What did you feel?"

Tak blushed. "A spark." She kissed him again. The magenta eyed male wrapped his arms around her. Affection seemed to radiate from them.

Ria tore away from the doorway and started a little dance on the catwalk. _This is awesome! Two Irkens in love! _She stopped. The rest of Aloha group was standing on the catwalk. They all looked extremely embarrassed, those who could blush were blushing. Except Gaz of course.

"We have to get out of here!" Ria whispered as loudly as she dared.

They all retreated back to the TV room.

* * *

"Master's in loveses!" GIR cheered.

"Yes GIR, yes he is," said Ria. "But keep it on the down-low, 'kay?"

"I have no idea what you just said."

"Just don't mention, okay? You understand?"

"I really don't."

"GIR-!" but she was interrupted by the feel of someone touching her antennae. Ria leaned back to see Tak looking over her.

"There, now _you_ look gorgeous."

Ria retrieved the mirror. Two golden barrette tassels were clamped on the kinked part of her antennae. They matched her eyes. "Thank you."

"No problem." Zim was right by her side.

Ria smiled at them. "I just hope the Tallest like my gifts."

"You got gifts for the Tallest?" said Zim.

"Sent them out a few days ago. Bad idea, after I got them, I thought I'd still have enough money for you guys. Turns out I was wrong."

"That's fine, what'd you get them?"

* * *

"Come on Red! Put it on!"

"No."

"But they're so soft!"

"I'm not wearing it."

Tallest Red held his present, but refused to wear it. Purple had his on though.

"And what exactly keeps you from wearing it? Huh? Huh?"

"I just don't want to." Red handed the present off to their head pilot, a young red eyed female named Yule. She had been a guard on the Massive, but Ria had recommended her for something else. Due to all Irkens stopping their current jobs, she had taken a few tests to find where she would fit best. She aced the flight simulator and everything. Thus, she was made their personal head pilot on this ship, since the Massive was in port back on Irk. This battle ship was big enough to get Alpha group and head back, which was what they were currently doing. "You hold onto it."

Yule smiled and put on the red Santa hat. Purple was wearing a purple one. The two had instantly liked each other, it was almost annoying. "Don't fret, my Tallest. We'll be there by the next Earth morning."

* * *

Zim was leaning against the wall outside the dorm. To Ria, he appeared deep in thought. She approached him quietly.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"The cogs and gears are turning. Tell me what's wrong."

He looked down at her. "Zim knows you were watching."

Ria yelped.

"But Zim doesn't care. Zim loves Tak, and Zim wants to make her happy."

Ria smiled. "Then I have a gift you can give her."

* * *

Tak was overjoyed to receive her first Christmas gift. Especially since it was from Zim. A single red rose from the plant. The only one that had bloomed as of yet.

* * *

Zim and Tak luv each other! :D

A little comedy with the Tallest, and you find out what happened to Yule! :)


	28. Smeet Attendant Exel

Smeet Attendant Exel

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

_Once I step onto this ship, it begins. There's no turning back. I will be fully committed to this war and what it stands for. I can't get scared, I can't leave. I admit I'm scared now, but it's within reason. Here I go..._

* * *

The transport ship wasn't overly dramatic in size. It was a humble vessel, but big enough for all of them.

"Use the boosters," said Red. "We need to get there as quickly as we can."

"Yes my Tallest," said Yule.

Ria looked around. This ship wasn't equipped with top of the line weapons, but it was carrying some unique firearms for a transport ship. She turned to Dib and Gaz. "Won't your dad notice you're both missing?"

"I don't care," Dib replied.

Ria decided to talk with Red. "Where exactly is the battlefield?"

"The Meekrob are grouping together. We have to strike before they do."

"Where's the Massive?"

"Unfortunately, the Massive won't be used in battle."

"What!" Tak and Zim cried together.

"The Control Brains have issued the Massive as a transport vessel."

"What will it be transporting?" Skoodge asked.

"Them. And the smeets. The Control Brains are being brought aboard as we speak, then the smeets will be brought up from the underground and put on board as well."

Ria raised an antenna. "Why? Why are they running away?"

"So the Empire will survive." Red's talons dug into his armrest. "So if we fail, the smeets will rebuild a new one, with the Control Brains still ruling over them."

Ria felt a spark of pure hate. _You cowards! _"How did you manage to recruit the Resisty?"

Red's antennae twitched. "That was almost painful, but we agreed to release Vort and leave them be if they assisted us."

"Getting ready to make the jump!" Yule announced. "Grab a chair and hang on!"

The ship lurched forward violently, throwing everyone into their chairs. The stars and planets zoomed past in blurs.

_This is it. I'm going home...to fight a war._

* * *

They docked and unboarded. Despite the dock being right on the planet's surface, and the open space, they were pushed and jostled as Irkens rushed by, looking for assigned ships and crews. The tall buildings and cities were emptying as their occupants climbed aboard war ships and headed off into space to take formation.

"My Tallest!" an advisor rushed up to the group. "Most of the smeet attendants have fled! We can't possibly get the youngest aboard like we planned before."

"What'll happen if you just herd them aboard?" asked Ria.

"It's not that simple," Red replied. "Smeets have delicate minds. If they knew what was really happening and why they're being evacuated, the stress and fear could shut their PAKs down and kill them. The smeet attendants were supposed to carry a few at a time while they were drugged. But without them, we can't get all the smeets within the time limit."

"What'll happen after the time limit?"

"A generator will activate and shield the planet. No one can get in or out."

Ria looked around at the panicking Irkens. They didn't care about the smeets because they didn't know they were in trouble. Or even if they did, would they still care? "Take me to the smeets."

"What?" said the advisor.

"Take me to the smeets, I have a plan on how to keep them calm and get them aboard. They'll think it's a game, and they'll listen to me, I'm one of them."

The advisor looked to the Tallest.

"Have someone meet us and take us to the smeets," Red ordered.

* * *

The entrance to the underground was more like the entrance to a subway. At the bottom of the stars was a platform, and someone was waiting for them. He was taller than the average Irken, a thin Irken. He wore a midnight blue long sleeve jacket with a split tailcoat. He had black pants, boots, and gloves, normal for an Irken. He wore a purple belt and a pair of goggles rested on his forehead. He also wore a diamond shaped chest armor with a another diamond shielding his PAK, the two were connected by shoulder pads. But, most curious of all, his left eye was deep magenta and his right eye was soft purple.

"Hello," he said in an official voice, "I am smeet attendant Exel. I have been assigned to lead you into the underground and to the youngest smeets." He looked curiously at Ria, but said nothing.

"Lead on," said Purple.

They got into one of the many elevators that waited on the platform. Ria was amazed they fit, but her mind was wandering elsewhere. The attendant's voice sounded so familiar! But she was positive she hadn't met him before. It was hazy, like a dream. The elevator stopped and they started down a long hallway, lit up by hanging lights. They passed a long glass window, showing some of the Smeeterie halls. Ria paused and looked down in amazement. Even now, in this time of crisis, smeets were being hatched and taken away.

_Why don't I remember this? What do I remember? _The sapphire eyes. She closed her eyes and let her oldest memory take her away. But she _heard_ something. Something in the memory. The sapphire eyes weren't close like last time. They were looming over her. Like...like...

_Like I'm lying on a floor._

Two beings were there, she could feel it. She could hear...a voice. A voice she had heard now.

"You!" she shouted, pointing at Exel. "You were at my hatching with the sapphire eyes!"

"I assure you, you are mistaken," but his body language said different. He was nervous.

"I remember your voice. I do! You were there! I am Ezari, hatched six Irken years ago. The sapphire eyes spared me, but you were there too!"

Exel was becoming increasingly nervous. "I...I don't r-recall such events."

"You were there," Ria almost felt like crying. "I remember!"

"Smeet attendant Exel," Red had authority in his voice, "I, your Tallest, am ordering you to admit your knowledge."

Exel's shoulders sagged. "Long ago, six years, an Auto-Defect smeet was hatched in my halls. I...I couldn't do it, I couldn't kill her. One of the robot arms began to malfunction, so I left to do that, and Tallest Miyuki, who I was showing around, said she'd take care of the smeet. When I came back, both were gone. I never found out what happened to the smeet, and she never told me. Come to think of it, she never came back down here." After all was said, he looked happier. As if a huge burden was lifted from him. He turned to Ria. "If you are truly that smeet, then I am happy to see you."

Ria sank to the floor. "Tallest Miyuki was the sapphire eyes?"

"Where have you been this whole time?"

"On an Irk-forsaken planet at the edge of the universe." She took a breath before standing back up. "Please continue on. We have to get the smeets."

The hallway ended in a mini cul-de-sac with doors all around.

"These smeets are between five years and just born," Exel explained. "So what's the plan?"

They all heard the sound of one of the doors closing.

* * *

All smeet eyes were on the strange visitor. A golden eyed smeet wearing a large jacket.

"Hi!" Ria waved cheerfully. "I've been told by the Tallest to tell you all something." She lowered her voice, "A secret."

Now she had their attention. The room was large enough for all means of play. There were toys and play weapons to train the little smeet minds. These smeets were almost a big as her, probably the five year olds since she was undersized. All their attention was on her. They crowded together to listen.

"You're going to go through a new training method."

"All of us?" asked one of the smeets.

"Yep. All the big Irkens are playing along. It's a game! You're going to be led out of here in groups, up to the surface, and onto the Massive. The grown-ups are going to be running around and stuff, but they're just playing. They think we'll fail at this, but we'll show them. Right?"

"Right!"

"Let's show them we're the best at games! Stay calm and in groups, and we'll prove we're brave and ready to serve the Empire!"

Two smeet attendants came in as if on cue. The smeets were herded into groups and led out. Ria returned to the hall to watch them go. Alpha group was still there, but the Tallest hid themselves from the smeets' view so as not to raise alarm.

"You handled that well," Exel commented.

"Thanks. It's easy to play a juvenile mind into a game." Ria watched the smeets go, her kind.

"We already have the remaining attendants telling the other smeets it's a game. This'll get done in no time."

"I'm glad." The golden eyed smeet went back down the hall to look out the window, observing the halls of the Smeeterie. Within time, Exel and Alpha group came and sat with her. "What exactly is a smeet attendant's job?"

"We patrol our assigned halls for injured smeets, or dead ones. We usually never return to the surface, and if we do, it isn't for long."

Ria sized him up. "But you're pretty tall, why would you stay stuck down here? Someone of your height could have any job he wanted."

Exel undid his armor and belt, then lifted the back of his jacket over his head. "This is why." His back was covered in gruesome looking scars.

Tenn gasped. "How did that happen?"

He lifted his jacket back down. "When I was being hatched, the second robot arm that was supposed to grab the other end of my tube malfunctioned. It shorted and jerked upward, shattering the glass. I was tossed into the air and plummeted back down. The fall didn't hurt me, surprisingly, but I fell on the shards of glass because they hit the floor before I did. They dug and cut into my back. I began screaming and crying as my blood leaked out into a pool, but no one came to my rescue. The robot arms couldn't do anything because they couldn't attach my PAK. The smeets instinctively roll on their bellies if they fall on their backs, but I was in too much shock and pain. When the smeet attendant in my hall finally came to me, I was almost gone. I was put on life support, but everyone was sure I was going to die anyway. I didn't, and now I am an attendant despite my size so no smeet will ever go through what happened to me."

"How noble," said Tenn.

"You remember all of this?" Tak asked.

Exel shook his head. "No, the trauma of my birth was too great. My earliest memory is trying to play with the other smeets, but it was hard. I was too weak. I recall all of this because, as a smeet attendant, I have access to all security footage in the halls."

"Then," said Ria, "could you show me my birth?"

"I would be happy to."

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Ria was waiting by a doorway that led further down. It actually led into the security room. But she waited outside of it until Exel came back up, and that was where the Tallest found her.

"Waiting for Exel," she answered.

"Why didn't you go down with him?"

"It's too dark to see, or as he colorfully put it 'I need a damn flashlight'."

Exel came back up from the depths. "This is it. Six years ago, the right time and everything." Their was small screen on the wall. Exel inserted the disk into a small slit beneath it. The screen flickered to life. Two Irkens, one obviously Exel, the other, a slender female in blue Tallest armor. Tallest Miyuki, the sapphire eyes.

"It's her," Ria whispered.

They were talking, but the camera hadn't picked that up. Suddenly lights flashed on the screen. A smeet dropped from its tube, hitting the ground in front of them. Exel was in despair over something. He picked up the small smeet, but then he looked off down the hall and said something to Tallest Miyuki. He put the smeet back down and ran off. Tallest Miyuki stooped to picked up the smeet. She held it close to her, watching it weakly struggle and whine. She turned and typed a code into the robot arm so it would bring her a PAK. Then she left with the smeet. Exel returned later, but she was nowhere to be found.

"That..was me. Tallest Miyuki wouldn't let me die."

"Then why did she send you to Earth?" said Zim. "A place she knew nothing about. What if it was like Blorch?"

Skoodge shuddered.

"I...I don't know." Ria looked up at the screen, but the footage stopped, leaving it blank. "I just don't know."

"Alpha group," said Tallest Red. "It's time to go. Your armor is ready and so is your ship."

"Wait!" said Dib. "We get a personal ship?"

"That's right."

"Sweet!"

* * *

They all got armored up at the weapons center near the ship dock. Each was given a gun and a laser knife. GIR and MiMi were reinforced with new weapons, and even Minimoose got a turret that sat on his back. The ship was a pure warship, painted blood red with a self shooting turret on both sides.

"Cooooool," said Zim. "What's its name?"

"I don't know," said Ria, "You're driving."

"Yeah- wait! I am?"

"Why not? Let's call it _Zimpact._"

"Alright!"

Ria turned to see the Massive in dock. Exel was standing at the entrance. He waved solemnly before disappearing inside. Alpha group boarded, each taking a seat and strapping in. The ship hummed as it activated, then lifted up and into the stars.

"Our victory begins now!" Zim announced.

_It begins..._

* * *

I was reading over the earlier chapters in this story, and I realized something. I FORGOT TO UPLOAD A CHAPTER! It was between Lockdown and Lost in the Underground. It was called Airport Irk. Basically, there was flooding in the city and Zim, GIR, Ria, Skoodge, Minimoose, and Xan took shelter on the orbiting spaceship. But Ria took one of the Voots back to Earth to stop a plane crash, but she ended up crashing the Voot. The saucer morons were about to get her, but Zim came to the rescue. He then mentioned the idea of getting someone to babysit Ria, which is why Gaz does it in the next chapter. And I revealed that Minimoose was up on the orbiting ship and they brought him down with them. Sadly, it's already been erased. I'm such an idiot!

Damn, I'm tired. I tried to put on my jacket before a shirt today. I'm an insomniac, it's finally catching up to me.

I chose Zimpact because that was some marketing logo they used when ZIM was first airing. 'Prepare for Zimpact'

I also always wondered if any smeets were injured during their hatching. So I had it that Exel was and that was the reason he became an attendant.


	29. Out of the Sky

Out of the Sky

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

All the warships were grouping above Irk. _Armageddon, _the largest of the ships and the one the Tallest were on, was above the rest of the fleet along with a Vortian ship. Ria was at first confused, but decided that it had to be the Resisty's ship. (they got a new one cuz they destroyed their first in Backseat Drivers) Currently, the fleet wasn't moving.

"What do you think they're doing?" said Dib.

"I don't know." Gaz was playing with her knife.

"Probably planning," Ria decided.

Zim left his pilot post and began pacing the floor.

"Sit back down," Tak urged him. "Your worrying isn't going to help."

He sank back in his chair. "I know it won't."

Red's voice came on the intercom. "This is Tallest Red reporting to all ships."

"And this Captain Lard Nar of the Resisty," said a different voice.

"We've decided the strategies. Squad one and two, led by the Resisty and _Comet, _will converge directly to planet Meekrob. _Armageddon _will take the side, passing by what was once planet Blorch. And...ugh..._Zimpact," _saying the name sounded painful, "will take the other side accompanied by _Dyespark, _and go past Vort. All squads follow your leaders."

Zim took his controls, but their two way screen flickered on. A female alien wearing a cloak that masked her whole body was sitting in the captain's chair of _Dyespark. _"I'm Captain Ixane, a member of the Resisty. Do you have the weapon?"

Zim raised his antennae. "You mean Ria? Sure, she's right here."

The smeet stepped into Ixane's view. "I'm here."

"Good. The Tallest have told us you are the last hope. Be wary comrades, the Meekrob are ruthless."

"I have a question," said Ria. "Why are you so quick to trust the Empire?"

"There is a chance that Vort will be freed and we will be left to our own devices."

"Don't you wish for your other planets' freedom?"

"For some of us, it is too late." She placed a hand on her chest, and possibly her heart.

"I'm sorry. But what if the Empire betrays their promise?"

"From the information -don't question where we got it- we received of you, this promise will be upheld by your own will."

Ria grinned. "Of course. But I fear my influence will fall once the Meekrob do."

"Fight hard young comrade. Let us be off."

* * *

_Dyespark _and _Zimpact_, along with their squads, hurried through the stars to their targets.

Tenn was observing the radar at her post. "Indicators show the Meekrob are grouping. They know we're coming."

"Look! There's Vort." Ria looked out the starshield (windshield) to see the planet. "I wonder how different they are from us."

"I can hear you," said Lard Nar over the intercom.

Before Ria could respond, _Zimpact_ suddenly was heaved on its side. Everyone fell out of their chairs and slid across the floor. The ship shuddered and a loud explosion made it tremble violently.

"_Zimpact!_"

"Comrades, what happened?"

"Zim! Ria! Respond!"

But the voices of the other Captains cried out in vain. Alpha group all began screaming as the ship's engines gave out and it plummeted to the planet below.

"Comrades!" Ixane cried out.

* * *

Ria's head was pounding. She sat up and put a hand to her head wound. She was still inside the ship, but the ship was grounded. The rest of Alpha group was awakening, groaning in pain as they did. The communicator was hissing. Ria quickly grabbed it.

"Red? Comrade Ixane? Come in! Do you read me?"

"Ria?" Red sounded overjoyed. "What happened?"

"We were shot down, we're on Vort. No major injuries."

There was hissing in response.

"Hello? Red?"

"Ria...get off that planet!"

She almost dropped the communicator in surprise. "What! Why?"

"Meekrob signals everywhere!"

"What! ?" Lard Nar's voice joined them. "We have to do something!"

"We can't Lard Nar. If we use our weapons, we'll destroy Vort as well."

More hissing.

"I'm sorry Lard Nar," Ria murmured.

"Ria, do you hear me?"

"Yes Red."

"You need to get off Vort. The Meekrob are there. They'll kill you. Hello? Ria!" But the smeet had dropped the communicator. A strange chanting seemed to fill the air.

_"You your Tallest, you your flaws_

_the fall of Irk and all its laws._

_You your whispering Control Mind_

_the fall of Irk and all its kind._

_You your planet, you your tongue_

_the fall of Irk and all its young._

_You your weapons, tear and rip_

_the fall of Irk and Massive ship._

_You the monstrous, the cruel, the vile_

_the fall of Irk and Defect child."_

It sent shivers down the spines of Alpha group.

"They know we're here," Tak whispered.

Ria manually opened the door. "We have to get out of here. The ship's engines are down so we can't escape on it."

The outside was a city scape, like Irk, but more family friendly. There were trees and gardens and flowers. But no one was on the streets. Ria could see the faces of Vortians in the windows. It wasn't Alpha group they were afraid of. Meekrob were floating in the streets, standing guard. Suddenly, an entire building exploded. A sign that had been on it blew all the way near Ria. After reading it, she rushed back to the communicator.

"Red?"

"Ria? What happened?"

"The shield that's protecting Irk...where's the generator for it?"

"On Vort, they promised to protect it with their lives."

Ria then saw the lifeless bodies of Vortians in the streets. "It just exploded." She was answered with hissing, then panicked scrambling.

"The shield is down! They're attacking Irk!"

"All squads return to Irk!"

"Shift positions!"

"Ria!" Red came back to the communicator. "You all need to get a ship and come back!"

"We'll try." She dropped the communicator. Ria turned to the rest of Alpha group. "Let's go."

* * *

Turns out, Vort had an underground entrance as well. Except their underground was more for generators and wires. Alpha group hid at one of the entrances, watching the Meekrob move up and down the streets. They had already checked the ship and realized their targets weren't there. Ria kept a hand on her gun.

"Hey!" a voice called softly. A young Vortian ran over to them and hid in the entrance. "Are you the crew of the ship that just crashed?"

"Yeah," Ria answered.

"Good. My friends and I just towed your ship. We'll repair it and get you back to Irk."

A Meekrob tendril suddenly wrapped around his waist. Tak and Zim immediately drew their guns and shot it dead. The Meekrob fell without a sound, but the commotion roused the others.

"Go!" Ria ordered the Vortian.

He nodded. "I'll meet up with you later. I'll find you."

As he ran for it back to the surface, Alpha group ran for the underground.

* * *

The underground consisted of long hallways with wires hanging all around. Sparks would throw themselves as electrical surges ran through. The halls were lit with hanging bulbs, dimly at that. They did their best to not trip or get tangled in the wires.

"I think...we're okay." They sheltered beside a locked doorway, Zim keeping a look out.

"What the hell is that thing?" Dib whispered.

Something with a crude smiley face on it was peering at them from around the corner. It was so strange yet interesting. They watched it intently. Then the rest of the creature slithered out.

"Cthulu!" Zim shouted. "It's Cthulu! Run for it! Run if you want to live!"

The blob screeched loudly and charged, somewhat. They fled down the hall with the creature in hot pursuit.

"Split up!" Ria ordered.

They split into three groups, Ria and Zim going together. The halls were becoming harder to traverse, more wires and dead bulbs the farther they went. Ria began to find it troubling to climb over the bigger wires that had fallen to the floor. The ground slanted dramatically, now free of wires and such. Ria screamed and managed to grab a broken bar extending from the side. She cut her hand in the process, but clung to it. Zim kept going.

"Ezari!" He extended his spider legs and managed to slow to a halt. The hall had turned into a chute that led out to a canyon with perfectly smooth sides. The bottom couldn't be seen, gray swirling mist blocked it from sight.

"Zim!" Ria's voice echoed through the canyon. "Climb up!"

A single spider leg lifted from the floor, causing Zim to slide further down to the foreboding drop. He stuck the leg back into the floor and even dug in his own claws. He was dangerously close. A broken rusted safety rail was half connected to the wall on his left. He lifted a leg once more to try and reach it, but slid even further. Ria looked down at him and released one hand hold on the bar.

"Ezari! No!"

"What else can I do? !" Tears leaked out of her eyes.

A dark shape slid past her. Tak had the wings from her PAK extended. She hooked one of the thumbs on the broken safety rail and swung from it. The other wing was close enough that Zim grabbed the thumb with his hand. Now they both swung by a little claw on the wing.

"Tak!" Zim shouted. "Why did you do this? You're just putting yourself in danger!"

"You're not the boss of me!" she shouted back. "Besides, I _wanted _to!"

"I've almost lost you before! I don't want it to actually happen!" One of the rusted bars gave out from the wall, sending a jolt through both Irkens.

"Squeak!" Minimoose descended the ramp. He stopped next to Ria, allowing her to grab on, and towed her back up. A rope slid past them.

"Grab it!" Ria called down as she was lifted up.

The two dangling Irkens did so. Once Ria got to the top of the ramp, she saw the rest of Alpha group pulling the rope along. The smeet climbed over a wire strewn across the floor. As she fell on her back, her hand brushed something. She grabbed it and held it up to the dim light. It was a PAK. She looked around, spying a sign on the wall. Zim and Tak were hauled up, and as soon as they were, the rest of them collapsed.

Zim stood up and brushed himself off. "Where's Cthulu?"

"We lost it, for now," said Dib.

"Yeah," Zee panted, her antennae trembling, "but not for long."

"Guys," Ria spoke up, "do you realize what this hall is?"

"No," they all replied.

She pointed to the sign. "This is an open trash chute. One that's obviously not been in use for a while. That's why the safety rails were busted. Any unfortunate Vortian that took a wrong turn would just grab the rails."

Zim raised an antenna. "You mean we almost got chucked down to the garbage?

The screams of Cthulu echoed down the halls.

"We need to go, now!"

No one noticed Ria clutching the PAK, all that mattered was finding safety. They made their way back to the better kept halls, those that were still in use. The blob's shrieks seemed to be all around them. Dib and Zim continually threw themselves against random doors, hoping to find an unlocked one. Although this may not have been the best idea, it turned out to be worth it.

"Hey!" Dib practically sailed into the now open room, "we can hide in here!"

This underground room was part of a building on the surface. It looked official and nice. Zim locked the door from the inside. Finally, they could relax for a moment.

"Whoa," Skoodge whispered.

There, at the other end of the room. Large dark gray eyes, like those of GIR when he was deactivated, no movement whatsoever, not a screen flickered. It was lifeless. Nothing was there anymore, no spark of life. It was a dead Control Brain.

* * *

On the Zim Wiki, it said her name was Ixane, so I went with it.


	30. Sapphire Specter

Sapphire Specter

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Dib took in a gulp of air. "That's creepy yet awesome."

The former awe that this Control Brain had once radiated was gone. No life, dead gray eyes, and this big room as its grave. There wasn't a name plate or anything to identify it, like it never existed.

"Vort was under our control," Tak whispered, as though the Brain could somehow hear her from the beyond, "so we should assume that a Control Brain was placed here."

Ria walked over to the husk on shaky legs. "But who knows how long this thing's been here? And dead?"

"Ria?" Zee spoke up. "Whatcha got there?"

The smeet looked down at her pick-up. "A PAK, I found it by the chute." She held it up. This room had better lighting than the halls. It was a larger PAK with blue spots. _Who knows how long this has been here too. _She lowered it and looked back to the Control Brain. Without thinking, she went to the side and started climbing up the wires. Had the Brain been alive, this would have been the most disrespectful thing one could do. Once she made it to the top, she stumbled in a small hole.

"You alright?" Zim called up to her.

"Fine! I'm fine." She studied the hole, right at the base of the Brain, where it was nestled into the wires. It was shaped for a PAK, a PAK that wasn't there. _Either this Brain died from lifeclock, or its PAK was stolen after it died. I wonder? _She studied the bottom of the PAK and the hole shaped for it. _Can an Irken live once more? _She plugged the PAK in place. A loud whirring noise filled the chamber. Electrical currents shot through the wires, forcing Ria to take a wild leap off the front of the Brain.

"What did you do? !" Tak shouted over the noise.

"I plugged the PAK!"

The many eyes of the dead Control Brain flickered. Then it was hiss, like a television that was malfunctioning. The hiss cleared revealing deep blue eyes. No one dared speak. Only silent staring between this Brain and the room occupants. A tentacle suddenly shot out and wrapped around Zim. He screamed loudly as he was repeatedly smacked against the floor.

"You itty-bitty idiot!" the Brain shouted. "You killed me off! I've never met a bigger fool in my life! All of this is your fault!" Then the Brain paused in its beating. "But I guess you're making up for it." The tentacle released him.

"Who are you?" Ria asked.

"I am the one who knew you from the beginning...and I figured the eyes would betray any lie I could tell."

The smeet gasped. "Are you...Tallest Miyuki?"

"I was. You found my PAK near the chute, where the Vortians tossed it after the little mishap with Research Station 9. Because you plugged in my PAK, I took over this body."

"But how?"

"My PAK's data was never erased, and my spirit never went to rest. I spent my time wandering the stars, unable to go further than what I knew, check that, _afraid _to go further than what I knew. As you recall, I started talking with you on board the Massive, a ship that was built during my reign. Then I followed you."

"My Ta-... Control Brain," Ria bowed, "why did you spare me?"

"I spared you...because of the same thing that should have condemned you. The title Auto-Defect. Allow me to tell this story."

"Please do."

"I had realized the age our race was being brought into. The age of war and conquering, allies and bonds would be forgotten. I had faith and pride in our species, but I knew we couldn't do it all. We needed a secret weapon, defined by the Ancestors."

"What do you mean?"

"Ria, the Auto-Defects were created as weapons by definition to the Ancestors. You are not a killer or a skilled weapon handler, you are a peace maker. Your kind was created to settle disputes and make treaties. The first ones were failures. The next few were not, but it was too late, all were labeled as failures. I knew that the DNA strip had corrected itself, as did the Control Brains. They ordered all Auto-Defects to death because they wanted the Empire to conquer, not make peace." The Control Brain extended a tentacle and brushed Ria's face. "I spared you...so you could find your way back and undo the damage."

"Why did you send me to Earth, a planet you knew nothing about?"

"I had kept you hidden for a few weeks in my room. During those weeks, I sent probes to the furthest planets. The ones from Earth showed a stable enough environment. So I put you in a shuttle and sent you off, but marked that planet and went around saying it was nothing."

"The sticky note!" Zim exclaimed. "That's why it was marked by a sticky note."

"Correct."

"Wait," said Ria, "then what about Bad Ria?"

"Bad Ria? Oh, you mean the control. Hear me Control Brains!"

"We hear you," many hushed voices echoed around them.

"The Control Brains!" Tak whispered.

"I am Control Brain Miyuki, the smeet known as Ezari stands before me. Control Brain Shon, long ago, I asked for your cooperation in sending this smeet far away. But you wouldn't just let her go. You and the Brains had to keep some control over her. The War mode in her brain, or, as she calls it, Bad Ria. You know what her true purpose is."

"We know...all."

"Yes,yes, whatever. Then you know this! Our kind won't survive on conquering alone, we need allies. And Ria can do that. But she can only realize her purpose if you let her mind go."

"We cannot, we must retain control."

"But if you don't, we'll all die out!" Ria argued.

"Let her go!" Miyuki ordered. "She can save us! Let the War mode go, set her free!"

"But if we do," said one Control Brains, "we will not be in control."

"Then you aren't letting your people truly live," said Ria. "Let my mind go, and I can set the Irkens free."

The Control Brains began whispering amongst themselves.

"She can do it, she was created to."

"We cannot let up control."

"Then the Empire will fall."

"I say let the smeet go."

At once, Ria felt like a hand had shoved itself into her chest and head. She shrieked in pain as she felt _something _wretch in her head, a ripping sensation. She fell on her knees, panting wildly.

"She is free." The voices began to fade.

"Wait!" Ria shot back up. "I have one wish!"

"Let us hear."

"I want...if we survive the war...then you'll stop releasing the sporos."

"What! ?"

"Stop the sporos! Let Irkens have their young again. Stop the cloning."

There was silence for the longest time, Ria began to fear the Brains had left them.

"We hear you, and we concede. If you win this war, we will stop releasing the sporos and let the people choose to have their own smeets. But be warned child, this opportunity means the chance of females dying in childbirth, unplanned smeets, and orphans."

"I realize that, there will always be cracks in any system."

Miyuki chuckled from nostalgia.

"Best of luck young smeet," said the Brains, "for if you fail, all you wish for will be lost." The voices faded.

"Control Brain Miyuki?"

"What is it, Ria?"

"How did you die?"

"By the teeth of that creature you met in the halls, my PAK was saved, thankfully and accidently, by a careless Vortian. You haven't much time. Go and win this war the only way you know how."

* * *

"Thank goodness!" said the Vortian. He was waiting for them at one of the entrances to the underground. "We've repaired your ship. But you must hurry! We've been receiving non stop calls, the Meekrob have migrated to Irk's surface. Your ship was brought down by some Meekrob using our turret cannon." He led them out of the entrance.

_I've never felt this free. There's something within me...I feel...great. I know I can do this. I know I can win!_

A Meekrob tentacle latched itself to Ria's leg and lifted her. Alpha group slid to a halt and drew out their guns.

"You shoot me and I stop her heart!" Ria looked up, horrified. It was St'lar. Half of his hood was burned away from Zim's second attack on him from the Massive. He held her upside down with one of his remaining tendrils. "You Irkens have messed with the Meekrob Dynasty for the last time!"

"On the contrary, this isn't your territory either." Ria drew her knife, but had an immediate change of heart. Holding it by the non sharp side, she beat him upside the head with the handle, instead of cutting off his tendril. He released her after a few decent whacks. She fell in a heap and turned on him, ready to attack if necessary. But she didn't feel the need to. She didn't want to kill him. She had never felt this way before. _Bad Ria is gone._

The remaining Meekrob began converging toward them. They had made a scene.

"We have to go!" the Vortian urged.

"Squeak!" Minimoose floated forward, his automatic turret keeping the Meekrob back.

The rest of Alpha group fled to the ship, which the Vortian's buddies had towed out of hiding. They climbed aboard, but Ria stood in the doorway, keeping it from closing. "Minimoose! Hurry up!"

But he didn't come to her, or even answer. His entire body lit up...and he _exploded. _All the Meekrob were blown back.

"Minimoose!" The door tried to slide shut, but Ria forced it to stay open. "Minimoose!"

Gaz grabbed the smeet by the back of her armor and pulled her inside. The door slid shut and the warship lifted from the ground.

* * *

St'lar watched the ship lift into the sky. The left half of his hood was gone, and a fragment of the right. Both scars from that Zim fool. A piece of shrapnel had hit him upside the head, cutting above his eye. He also had the bruising from Ria's beatings.

_I am not a pretty sight._

The warship disappeared within the clouds.

_They're coming your way Dev'yin. Kill the smeet and get revenge for Klg'har. I wonder why that brat didn't kill me?_

_You the monstrous, the cruel, the vile_

_the fall of Irk and Defect child._

* * *

Yay Miyuki! R.I.P. Minimoose T-T

The whole 'cracks in the system' was said by Exel in the first chapter


	31. Facing Fear

Facing Fear

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

"Why did we leave him behind? !" Ria shoved Gaz away and approached Zim in his pilot's chair. "We could've saved him! We didn't have to lose him like Xan!"

Zim's face, although completely focused on the task of getting the ship back to Irk, betrayed the emotions churning within. Ria stopped scolding and glared out the starshield. Zim was hurting.

"He gave his life so we could escape," said Tak. "So we could return and fight this war."

Ria lifted her lip enough to bare her teeth. "But why do we have to lose those who didn't even fight the war? Minimoose will be honored when this is all over, and Xan too."

There were no more ships around Irk. They were all on the planet. _Zimpact _went in for a landing in a, thankfully, empty place. No Meekrob, but no Irkens.

Tenn checked it over on the radar. "They're fighting further into the cities. I am picking up PAK signals and other aliens in this area. Probably stragglers."

They exited the ship and looked around. This area had been hit, but not hard. Some buildings had crumbled and there were scorch marks on the ground. A few Meekrob and Irkens lay dead.

"So this is war?" said Gaz.

"Hey!" An Irken sheltering among some debris waved them over. "You made it back! You all need to report to the medical tents, the Tallest are there."

"Why would the Tallest be at the tents and not fighting?" asked Skoodge.

The Irken looked away. "You'll find out."

* * *

Alpha group later found out that this area was where the Meekrob had first struck, but the army drove them away and set up bases. The medical tents were in the center, safely guarded by any intruders. The guards bowed to them as they walked through.

"Ria!" Tallest Red was in his battle armor, waiting outside the 'Emergency Operating' tent. There were dents in his armor and the right half of his head was bandaged with blood seeping through.

"Status report," said Ria. She knew she probably shouldn't talk that way to a Tallest, but right now wasn't the time for manners and etiquette.

"Things are bad. The Meekrob are further into the cities. We have injury counts in the hundreds."

"Does anyone know any way to forcibly end the fighting?"

"Take out the Head Meekrob, Lady Frith'gen. She took refuge on the Tallest Tower and is observing her forces from there. If you take her out, the Meekrob will lose their connection and we can overpower them."

"Okay. By the way, that's not bad, is it?" She pointed to his bandages.

"Well, I'll have to get used to life with only one antenna, but I'll be fine."

"Then why are you still here?"

He turned his head away. "I'm waiting for Purple."

Ria ducked into the tent, something that anyone with a weak stomach should not do, but she was okay with blood. Purple had already been operated on. He was lying on a cot, out cold and on life support. The only thing was...his left arm was gone. Ria bit her lip. It was too painful, this true reality.

_But I can stop it. It was what I was created to do._

"He'll be okay," said Yule, who was sitting at the one-armed Irken's bedside. Tears were streaming from her cherry eyes. "I know he'll be."

"You like him, don't you? No...you love him."

Yule shrugged a shoulder. "So what? I love a Tallest. So what? He's two heads taller than me while slouching. So what? I..." her voice trailed away.

"Do you love him enough to be his mate?"

"He and Tallest Red saved me from the hired hand guards. They saved me from the abuse. But he...he encouraged me after I told him my dream. He even helped me when I had free time and tried my hand at the stove. We laughed together."

"Do you love him enough to not even fight for the Empire in this war?"

"He's part of the Empire," she pointed out.

Ria looked at her through half lidded eyes. But not from boredom, she understood what was happening...and she even had the answer for these two. "Do you love him enough to want smeets with him?"

Yule blushed but refused to look embarrassed. "As stupid as it sounds, as impossible and dream worthy as it is, I do. If we could, I would have his smeets. And we would raise them together and we'd all be happy and..." she broke down bawling and wailing loudly enough that the medics came rushing over.

Ria slowly left the tent, turning back to look at them before ducking out. The medics were trying to pull Yule away from Purple's cot. She fought them like they were devils, even going as far as biting one on the arm.

"Are they done with him?" Red asked, a bit frightened from the sounds of fighting.

"Yeah, his...his arm is gone."

"I wanted to stay with him, but I was feeling weak from the lack of blood and I didn't want to puke in there. Yule was fine, so she stayed with him." He raised his hand and felt at his bandages. "She likes him, doesn't she?"

"Very much."

"I really did want to stay with him. We always did everything together. He's my brother from the same tube."

A few field medics came rushing by, carrying a wailing and bleeding Irken on a stretcher. His cries even drowned out Yule's. Ria felt a shiver shoot through her bones. Alpha group was also disturbed by the sight. Zim immediately had a protective arm around Tak.

Ria tightened her hand into a fist. "I'm going to stop this. So Frith'gen's at Tallest Tower?"

"She's on _top _of Tallest Tower. She has guards on all floors. Purple and I were trying to infiltrate when one of them, they called her Dev'yin, attacked us with her squad. They're the reason we're both here right now."

_So Dev'yin's here? I had hoped I'd never have to face her again. _"I know what to do. But Red, you must promise me something"

"What?"

"No matter what I do, whatever action I take, you _must _allow me to do it and not interfere or go against it after it is done."

The red eyed Tallest regarded her carefully. "I promise."

"Alpha group, we need to scout."

* * *

The Tallest Tower wouldn't be easy even reaching. There were squads of Meekrob, Irkens, and the members of the Resisty fighting all around the buildings. Debris littered the streets along with fallen comrades and enemies. Smoke curled into the sky, shouting and screaming echoed through the cities. The cries heightened as an entire building tumbled, throwing itself across a courtyard and killing dozens. Riddled about the cities were large concrete trenches with bridges that led over them. These trenches were most likely once drainage ditches for whatever water had once existed here. A large slab of building lay at the head of one of them, pointing toward Tallest Tower.

"We can do this," said Dib. Alpha group was standing on a bridge, overlooking one of the ditches. "If we get a vehicle, we can skate along these trenches, go off the ramp, then use boosters to get to the top of the tower. We won't have to climb the levels." He quickly drew his gun and shot two Meekrob that had tumbled into the trench.

"We could salvage hover equipment," Zee suggested.

GIR giggled.

"What?"

"I don't know!" he started laughing like an idiot.

Ria looked down into the empty trench. "Like skateboarding? In a ramp?"

"Yeah," said Dib.

The smeet looked up to the tower. She could see movement on the roof. "Let's get some hover boards."

They salvaged from a local repair shop. Ria felt bad about stealing and made a mental note to return them. They positioned themselves at the bridge, ready to drop and start along the trench.

"We're really doing this," said Tak. "We're gonna jump to the roof of Tallest Tower."

They dropped from the bridge, the hover boards activating on the drop. They levitated a few good inches off the concrete. Ria held out her arms for balance. _This might be a bit harder than I thought._ There was a loud boom behind them. A squad of Meekrob were converging. The bridge collapsed, sending up a dust cloud that blocked the enemies from finding their prey.

"Go!" Zim commanded.

They all moved one foot back to the booster pedal at the back of the boards. Alpha group shot off down the trenches in a rough formation. Ria stole a look behind them. The cloud had cleared and now the Meekrob were in hot pursuit. Tenn and Zee both began scooping up small rocks that dotted the trench and chucking them at their pursuers. The whole event took a video game effect.

"Fork!" called Skoodge, the furthest ahead.

Each of them knew what had to happen. Ria, Tak, Zim, and Dib took the path that would lead to the ramp, the others took the different path. MiMi, in seeing her mistress go the other way, tried to stop but ended up crashing. GIR let out a loud shriek and tumbled off his board. The Meekrob split into two squads, each taking a path. Once the ones following the others passed GIR's abandoned board, he doubled back to find MiMi. Ria led her companions along the trench, dodging the hazardous conditions that grew more numerous as they went. The Meekrob began to gain.

Dib drew his gun once more, then swiped a small rock along the ground. He shoved the rock into the barrel and set the gun on high level. It started humming loudly, a side effect of the building ammunition. He faced the Meekrob and tossed the gun. It killed at least half of them in a violent explosion, and injured a few more. Only about five were left to continue following them. "Take that!" A bleeding Meekrob suddenly leapt from the side, taking Dib right off his board.

"No!" Ria stumbled, but managed to grip the edge of her board before tumbling off so she didn't lose it. "Dib!"

Tak and Zim both slid to a halt before doubling back. The Meekrob were almost upon Dib. He stood up, drawing his knife and facing the enemy.

"We have to go back!" Ria mounted her board and started back.

Zim grabbed her by the shoulder. "We can't!"

A large explosion rained debris down upon them. Fire leapt into the sky, smoke billowing so thickly it blocked out what little light had been available. In the dimness, they could only make out shapes. But they could hear just fine. The distinct sound of GIR in a battle cry.

"Go!" Dib's voice echoed. "GIR and MiMi are here, I'm fine!"

The three Irkens mounted their boards and started off through the trench once more. The hazards grew to a minimum, and even this state of fear, Ria slowed to a cruise to see everything around her. The fires, the smoke, the distinct flashes of lasers, the cries of aliens, the crumbling buildings, ships being shot down and crashing in brilliant explosions. It was hell itself. Her golden eyes teared up.

"The ramp!" Tak shouted. A long stretch of open trench lay before them, and at the end, the building slab. "We'll slingshot you!"

Ria nodded. _The time has come. _She looked up at the Tower as her board picked up speed. There was a large whirlpool shape of smoke above it. The hover boards set to maximum speed, the pedals all the way down.

**_Sometimes your whole life boils down to one moment where you prove you are who you are. Though we may be clones, we were always our own people. No one could tell us otherwise. Your heart belongs to you. No one can take it, but you can share it._**

Ria looked to each side of her, to Tak and Zim. _I realize that. Miyuki, years ago, you spared me, a little smeet. You spared me in the hopes that I would return and undo all the damage done. At any moment in my life, I could have stopped that. I could have turned away, but I didn't. I will save the Empire.__I will save my people._

The voice of the Control Brain sighed in contentment. _**I never gave up hope in you. Do what I couldn't. Stop the fighting. **_

Zim and Tak both took a hold on her shoulder pads. With great effort, they sling-shotted her up the ramp. In doing so, they decreased their own speeds. Ria sailed through the air, looking down at the carnage. The burning buildings and courtyards. Gripping the edges of her board, she activated boosters from her PAK. She landed on the roof, rolling from the impact. A sickening snap sounded, followed by an intense pain. She slowed to a halt, lying on her back. She looked up right into the whirlpool of smoke, seeing the stars of space far above.

_Where does it end? These stars? Is there an end? When we die, do we go to a place above them?_

Ria painfully rolled onto her stomach. There she was, the Lady Frith'gen. She was five times the size of a normal Meekrob. Her tendrils waved with psychic energy. She gazed at the smeet, betraying no emotion. Turns out she didn't need to show emotion. The roof erupted with chunks flying up into the smoke whirlpool. Flames shot up from nowhere and surrounded the two. Ria shakily got to her feet, but an agonizing pain in her leg forced her back to the ground. Frith'gen loomed over her. Ria's eyes watered from the intense fire.

"Lady Frith'gen! I come before you..." she grabbed her gun and knife and promptly threw them before the Meekrob, "weaponless...asking for one thing."

The Meekrob's tendrils loomed closer to the smeet.

"I come to you...asking for peace."

* * *

i've enjoyed this story, but it's coming to an end.

the Tallest Tower was mentioned as being the building Red and Purple were in during the flashback of Zim destroying Irk in the robot, in The Nightmare Begins.


	32. The Nightmare Ends

The Nightmare Ends

I am the voice of Dragons past

Since the first episode was called 'The Nightmare Begins', I thought this title would fit the chapter

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Zim and Tak were slowly climbing the outside of the Tower. Because of decreasing their speed when they threw Ria, they weren't able to get enough air to get to the top like she had. They were happy when they saw she managed to make it, but then became desperate to get up there. Tak had managed to get her spider legs out, but Zim stayed under her, readying to catch her should they fail.

"No!" Tak screamed at the sight of the flames erupting on the roof, making the smoke clouds glow. "Please no! Ria!"

They doubled the effort to vertically climb.

* * *

"You are a foolish smeet. I don't know why you do this. I know your story, so I wonder, why save the ones who abandoned you?" The Lady Meekrob's voice was rich and lilting.

"No one abandoned me," Ria was supporting herself against a chunk of fallen roof. "I was simply put through a test...and I passed."

Frith'gen was floating before the smeet. "I am confused. You know what the Empire has done, yet I know you are the complete opposite. I hold no grudge against you personally, but I know someone who does."

Ria felt a tear run down her cheek as Dev'yin appeared. This was the worst possible thing for her to go through.

"Hello again, young smeet. I have a lot to hate you for. Killing my mate, maiming myself."

"Dev'yin, if I could go back and stop myself, I-"

"Shut up! You're at my mercy and I can kill you right now!"

"And you were at mine, yet I spared you, even when the Control Brains had me."

"I said shut up!" Dev'yin drove one of her tendrils against the smeet's head, shooting her full of electricity.

Ria screamed loudly enough that her voice broke.

"Fight back!" Dev'yin grabbed her by the arm and threw her across the roof. "Fight me! I want a fair fight! I want my revenge!"

Ria whimpered in pain after sliding. Her entire body was bruised and scraped. Her ankle was broken from the leap to the roof. There was a large gash on her forehead, the blood leaking into her eyes, mixing with her tears.

"Why won't you fight? ! You did before!"

"It wasn't me fighting."

Dev'yin grabbed her again and slammed her into the chunk of fallen roof. Ria felt some of her ribs pop. She slid down and fell in a heap.

"I'm not the smeet you met before," she weakly whispered. "I am free...and I have come to set my kind free as well. I come before you, asking for peace between our races and planets. That is what I am meant to do, what I was made to do. I would love for that to happen."

"But does the rest of your kind?" Frith'gen approached her.

"I've planned that out." Ria managed a smile. "You don't need to worry." Her breathing became more labored. "And by the way, the Control Brains are lessening their hold. Miyuki lives..."

"Miyuki? Tallest Miyuki?"

But the smeet was gone.

* * *

Zim and Tak leapt through the flames. The sight was almost unbearable. Ria, bloodied and broken, lying limply with two Meekrob, one huge in size, looming over her. Both Irkens pushed past their enemies to get to the smeet. They didn't even notice that they had shoved away their mortal enemies. Tak scooped up the unconscious smeet and started sobbing. Zim took notice of the Meekrob and immediately shielded the two with his body.

"Who are you?" said Frith'gen.

"I am Zim, Ezari's most trusted guard."

"Why is the female so sad?"

"This female is my mate, we are both sad."

"But why?"

"Ria means a lot to us. She brought us together, she united the Empire. She..."

Tak clutched Ria to her chest, quieting her sobs to a few hiccups.

"I have this to ask," said Frith'gen. "This smeet says Miyuki lives."

"And what if she does?"

"We were scheduled to a treaty meeting with Tallest Miyuki, but then she died and her successor, Spork, immediately canceled it."

"W-well," Tak managed through her tears," call this smeet her t-true successor. Ria wants n-nothing more than for everyone to live in peace. It's all she knows. And it's all she wants."

Dev'yin was fighting a mental battle. She was still in fury, but she was also realizing what was happening. Seeing these two Irkens shielding her victim, something they never figured any Irken doing, she felt a new light shining upon the Empire. "Is...is this the true heart of an Irken?"

Zim stood up, still shielding the two females. "It can be."

"It was meant to be." Ria was trembling in pain, but she was smiling. She extended her hand to Dev'yin. "I'm so sorry." After a moment of hesitation, Dev'yin wrapped her tendril around the smeet's hand. "My Lady Frith'gen, please accept my offer. It is what I'm meant to do. And if you don't, the Control Brains will force us to keep fighting. They won't stop until your Dynasty falls. I don't want that to happen."

Frith'gen's entire body rippled and faded, revealing a normal sized Meekrob. The flames faded away and the smoke whirlpool expanded, exposing the sky. The phenomenon surprised everyone to stop fighting.

"Hear me!" Frith'gen's voice echoed into the sky. "This war is over! The aliens beside and opposite you, are now your allies one and all! I can do this for you!" A psychic glow fell over the cities, extinguishing the multiple fires.

* * *

"I hear a ghost," Purple was on painkillers, but at least he was awake. Yule was stroking his head.

Red ducked out of the tent as soon as Frith'gen's voice sounded. He climbed a pile of debris and looked out to the Tallest Tower. The smoke was clearing away and all fighting had stopped. _What happened? _He made his way down off the pile and started off into the city.

* * *

All aliens migrated to the Tallest Tower. On the roof, Frith'gen created a platform of psychic energy and lifted all of them to the ground. Tak immediately stood up, holding Ria tightly in her arms.

"Hey! Hey guys!" Tenn, Zee, Skoodge, Dib, Gaz, GIR, and MiMi fought their way through the crowd.

Zim guided Tak over to them. She set Ria down, laying her flat on the ground. Tenn and Zee leaned over her, gently prodding and feeling her limbs.

"Broken ankle, cracked ribs, large gash on the head, several bruises," Tenn reported. "She's gonna need help."

Red tumbled down another pile of debris, several medics following, dragging medical equipment and supplies with them. They batted away Alpha group, but were forced to let Tak stay after she swiped at them. They set to work.

"Hello, Lady Frith'gen," Red greeted the Meekrob. "Thank you for stopping the fires."

"Tallest Red, allow me to extend my peaceful greetings. That smeet is really something."

Red looked down at Ria. "She really is. That was a clever trick you've pulled, Ria."

She smiled. "You made a promise to not interfere, you're keeping it so far."

He kneeled beside her. "Is it truly your belief that we can live in harmony?"

"It's all I believe."

"Very well then." He rose back to his feet. "Lady Frith'gen, Lard Nar, I call for a treaty between our nations."

"What about the Control Brains?" said Lard Nar. "What'll they say?"

"It doesn't really matter what they think, they're not here." All Irkens burst into cheering as soon as he said it. "Do you accept?"

"I do," said Lard Nar.

"Let us live in peace," said Frith'gen.

* * *

Smeet attendant Exel looked out a window and into space. The smeets were comfortable on the ship, playing quietly. The Control Brains were stressing over something to do with Ria. He wasn't supposed to be near them, due to every attendant needed for the smeets, but he had stole a few moments of eavesdropping. They were very upset. The strange thing was, they were speaking with someone who wasn't there. He had been listening through the door. They had been arguing fiercely.

"I have news!" An attendant entered the cafeteria. "Tallest Red has called us back! We're going back!"

Exel looked back to the window. _Ria, what did you do?  
_

* * *

There was much to attend to in the next few days. The Control Brains were moved back to their places, but the Irkens didn't immediately go back to their jobs. They were commingling with their new allies and rebuilding the cities. And all the partying and celebrations that Tallers and Smallers each did their part. Alpha group lived in Tallest Tower for those days. Ria's recovery was of the utmost importance.

"Different planets with enslaved natives are already negotiating their freedom," said the announcer on TV. "However, the planets that have gone through organic sweeps will remain under Irken control, but will be open to all species. These include, Foodcourtia, Judgementia, Blorch, Conventia, and Devastis. We are receiving word of the movement of former Tallest, current Control Brain, Miyuki. We understand she will be taken home to Irk. On another note, a horrible blob monster found within the Vort underground has been exterminated."

"Ah, not the squishy," said GIR.

"Yes GIR," Zim responded. "Yes the squishy."

Ria snickered. "Just be happy Miyuki forgave you so quickly."

Their living space was like a hotel suite fit for royalty. The entire floor was theirs to do with what they wished. They did have servants for food and housekeeping, but they rarely let them suffer in their jobs. In fact, when Ria managed to stand up on her own, they ordered a bunch of party food and invited all the servants for a night of fun. Alpha group had no definite sleeping areas, they just crashed and slept where they fell. But the TV room was where they did most of their hanging out, watching the news as the Empire fixed itself. Ria, in the past few days, had to politely decline the hundreds of gifts pouring in for her. She did, however, keep her hover board when it was offered.

They heard a door slide open. Yule came bounding in. "I've got news!" she sang happily. "The natives of Callnowia have been officially released. And, get this, Miyuki is being moved here! To Tallest Tower!"

"Shh!" said GIR, "the TV people talk!"

"GIR, it's a commercial," Tak pointed out.

"Leave him," said Zim. "He doesn't care."

"Anyways," Yule continued, "the Meekrob and the Vortians are coming tonight to finish the negotiations of the treaties. You're all invited."

"Nice to know it's just an invitation," said Gaz.

Ria gave her a look. "We're going, _all _of us."

She groaned.

* * *

The Irken Elite and Invaders were the only other Irkens present, all the others had to return to their jobs to keep the Empire running. The gathering happened on board the docked Massive. Meekrob, Irkens, and Vortians stood together as their leaders read off the treaties and agreements for their nations to live in peace.

Ria suddenly stood up. "But before we all go rushing off, I'd like to say something." Everyone cheered loudly for her to speak. "Thank you. It's hard to believe that only a few months ago, I was a street urchin that wandered into Zim and Skoodge's lives. I have accomplished and discovered much in that time, and sadly...it's too much." The crowd instantly quieted to frightened and confused whispers. "Everything about our race and technology is just too much to take in. I have already discussed this with my friends," they all nodded, "and we have decided to return to Earth while I learn about our history. Thank you."

"What? Are you serious?" Red whispered. He and Purple were both back in their Tallest uniforms. Of course, Purple's missing arm was cause for concern with him staying balanced in the hover device, but he was doing okay so far. Yule was usually by his side.

"I'm afraid so. Despite all I've been through, I'm still a smeet. Just being thrown into this world isn't good for my well being, I'll suffer from culture shock. I need to ease in, so I'll do studying of Irken technology and history while on Earth. Besides, these two need to go home," she gestured to Gaz and Dib. "We'll come back...someday."

"Ria," said Frith'gen, "please visit Meekrob one day. We will welcome you warmly."

"Yeah," Lard Nar spoke up, "visit Vort too, after we clean it up."

"I will."

"Zim," said Red.

"Yes, my Tallest!" he saluted.

"Take care of her. You and Tak together."

_Miyuki, can you hear me?_

_**Yes, but this bond won't last forever now that I have a new body.**_

_Do you think I made the right decision?_

_**We can never be sure, can we? But you did what you thought was best for yourself. You've done everything for the Empire. Treat yourself.**_

_I'll visit you everyday when I come back. I don't know when that'll be. Just keep the other Brains in check, okay?_

_**You won't need to worry about that. Farewell, young smeet. Enjoy life, for it is the greatest gift.**_

* * *

the war is over! yay!_**  
**_


	33. Selection

Selection

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

The warship known as _Zimpact _hovered over the open water. Far enough from shore that no humans could see it or its occupants. However, a human was actually on it. But he was used to these things, aliens and ships and such.

"They're just not biting, are they?" said Ria.

"Nope," said Dib.

Twenty Earth years, two Irken years, had passed since their departure from Irk. Dib and Gaz, now both in their early thirties, lived with their Irken friends. In fact, as soon as Gaz turned eighteen, both packed up their stuff and moved into the wienie stand. They never took jobs or told their father where they went, or else he didn't care. They had everything they needed, just like the Irkens. Not that the Irkens really showed up in public anymore. They barely left the stand. In fact, only Zim, Tak, and Ria went out the majority of the time, and GIR, but he disappeared more likely than just leaving. He always came back though.

"I think I got something!" Ria reeled in her line, only to come with a soaking wet policeman's hat. "Okay. That's really, really weird." She pinched it between her rubber gloved fingers and tossed it aside. At eight Irken years old, Ria was still technically a smeet. But her mind had expanded beyond any knowledge a simple smeet could muster. She was almost as tall as Zim was when she first met him, a sure sign she was going to be a tall and elegant female. Like Tak had become. She was at five foot five, a slim graceful Irken, yet she had taken to wearing more baggy clothing as of late. She claimed they were more comfortable. And they _did_ look comfortable. But the real shocker was Zim. He practically towered over Ria now. Taller than Tak, taller than Dib if one didn't count his hair, maybe even as tall as the Tallest. Yet his personality had calmed a bit. He stopped referring to himself in third person. Tenn, Zee, and Skoodge had also grown in height, but they weren't amazing shockers like Zim and Tak.

"You never know what you'll fish out," said Dib. They were both sitting on top of _Zimpact _idly fishing the afternoon away. It was for the sport though, they never took anything alive home.

"You wanna pack it in?"

"Yeah, there's not much out there."

* * *

"Hello? ! Is anyone gonna answer?"

Ria rushed into the communications room after abandoning her fishing supplies. "Exel!"

The smeet attendant was on the screen. "Ria! Finally! I've been calling out for at least fifteen minutes and no one's been answering!"

"I'm here, aren't I? Whatcha calling about?"

"Nice...outfit." She was wearing a pair of blue flannel pajamas with purple butterflies, with a long sleeve button up top. "Anyways, I'm the bearer of incredible news! Tallests Red and Purple are stepping down."

"What? But I thought a Tallest couldn't leave their position."

"It's a new rule that Miyuki enforced. They're stepping down, so a new Tallest must be chosen. You're all invited to the ceremony, and allowed to take part if any of you think you've got a chance."

"How come _you're _telling us this? Where's Yule? Isn't she usually the one who does this?"

"Miyuki personally asked me, don't know why. You coming or what? I have to tell the others and they reaaaallly want to know. Seriously, they're, like, brooding on it. They're probably going to pounce me as soon as I'm done here."

"Give me a sec." Ria went over to the intercom microphone. "Hey! Get to the communications room!" She waited a few minutes for everyone to gather. "Exel's calling."

Tenn gasped. "Exel? I'm so sorry!"

Ria raised an antenna. "How is it your problem?"

"No reason," she looked away.

"Okay then. The Tallest are stepping down and we've been invited to the selection ceremony, and to take part if we want."

Zim looked a little hurt. "Red and Purple are stepping down? But they're barely older than I am!"

"Yeah," said Exel, "but they've had it. They're handicapped now and are finding it really hard to run the Empire."

"I can understand Purple," said Ria, "but Red? He's just missing an antenna."

"You still have both of yours."

Zim gently pushed Ria to the side. "Tell Red and Purple that we'll be coming...to stay."

Ria perked her antennae. "What?"

"I don't know about you, but I've finally had it with this planet. I want to go home. I will be attending this ceremony, Exel, and I'll stay on Irk even after it's over."

The other members of Alpha group looked to each other. True, this planet wasn't the best place to live, but they had found a comfortable life.

"I've studied enough to not be overwhelmed," said Ria. "I want to go home."

"Wherever you two are, I go too," said Tak.

"Alpha group sticks together," Skoodge stated.

"_All _of us," said Dib.

Zim turned to him. "What? But this is _your _home."

Dib shrugged. "Yeah, but we're not technically human. Besides, I always felt more at home with you guys than anywhere else. We've been through too much together, so why would you leave us behind now?"

"Exel," Zim turned back to the screen, "tell the Tallest and Miyuki that we're coming home."

"Over and out," said Exel before ending the transmission.

* * *

Ria was leaned back in the pilot's chair with her feet propped up. "Is this really a good idea?"

"It's fine, Ezari, we just want to go out with a bang," said Zim. "And since we'll leave right after, no one will come to harm."

"Fine."

Currently, _Zimpact _was hovering above the city in plain sight. This was their memorable feat. Proving Dib was right. Tak and Gaz were hacking into a broadcasting station by signals. Soon, the members of Alpha group would take over every television in the city and broadcast their own message.

"Almost got it, now!" said Gaz. "We're live, say your message."

"Hello filthy city," said Zim in front of the camera they stole. "This is Irken Zim, saying a few words on behalf of a friend."

"I'm his friend," Dib wiped away an imaginary tear before cracking up.

"The human you know as Dib, son of Membrane, was never wrong about aliens. I was in his class. Say hi, everyone." He swung the camera around to catch everyone in a shot. They all waved, and GIR started break dancing. "Don't bother apologizing," he continued after he moved the camera back to him, "Dib and Gaz are coming with us. We're going home, but you can find solace in the fact that we won't bother you ever again. Your planet isn't worth it. Bye, bye." He waved at the camera before they cut the transmission.

Ria was twirling the cop hat on her hand. She had had Computer clean it so she could wear it without any harm. They had left the wienie stand behind, but for the stuff they couldn't take, they shut down permanently. Ria had Computer's AI chip in her pajama shirt pocket, and a bag of seed packets she had tied to her waist. "So everything's taken care of?"

Zim picked her up and purposely dumped her off to the side. "I'm driving, and yes."

She fit the hat onto her head. "Let's go home."

* * *

Ships were converging in swarms to Irk. Zim was at pains to not hit one after shutting down the boosters. Turns out, he didn't need to worry. They parted for him so the ship could go right through.

Ria looked out the starshield eagerly. "It's like we're royalty. Kings and queens, and a princess."

"How humble of you," said Zee.

_Zimpact _docked. The Massive was in its personal dock, and that was where the ceremony was being held. It was like a meeting place now since it wasn't in space all the time. Meekrob, Vortians, Irkens, and a few other alien species were converging up the ramp and into the giant ship. Alpha group got off their ship, meeting someone who was waiting for them.

"Hey!" Exel waved. "It's great to see you all again."

Tenn ran and jumped into his arms. This really surprised no one. Even though she had tried to keep it secret, they knew she had been calling Exel every chance she got.

"Hello Exel," said Ria. "How are things going in the Smeeterie?"

"All fine. Hey, have you seen any sporos on yourself lately? For a while I wore black clothing and checked myself regularly. Unless I'm doing something wrong, I didn't see any."

"No, not for a long time." And it was true, she had not seen any sporos for a very long time.

"Okay, that's good! Come on, it'll start soon. Everyone's here."

They passed by ships and aliens, most bowing, and went up the ramp and into the Massive. No one was dressed up, and barely any Irkens were behaving civilly. They were running around between friends, taking messages and delivering others. They were laughing and joking, not that other guests weren't doing that too. This was a time to celebrate, yet also a bit sad. Red and Purple weren't that old, but they were still stepping down.

Ria squealed in surprise as someone scooped her up. "Welcome home, heroes of the Empire." Red placed her on his PAK like he had used to do. "Ria, you've changed. Both of you did too, but you're not the center of my focus right now," he said to Zim and Tak.

"Red, why are giving this up?" Ria asked.

"It's too hard after everything that's happened. I don't know what I'll do after, maybe help Purple and Yule with the chef thing."

"Welcome, welcome!" Lady Frith'gen, with Dev'yin in tow, approached them. "I hear you're staying this time."

"Hello my Lady," Ria greeted. "How are things between our nations?"

"We're doing very well. Had to round up a couple of malfunctioning SIR units causing destruction."

"My Tallest!" an adviser came rushing over. "We're beginning."

* * *

The meeting hall was the biggest room in the Massive. It was large enough for all the guests. There was a platform ledge where the Tallest stood with Alpha group, Frith'gen and Dev'yin, and Lard Nar with a Vortian elder.

"Welcome Irkens and comrades alike," said Red. "I am sorry to say that my brother and I are stepping down from our positions, but happy to say that we will get to formally greet the one to take our place. Let the selection begin! Candidates, step forward."

Several worthy Irkens, height -wise, stepped up a ramp to the ledge. Rarl Kove, the Tallests' advisor, was standing on a chair with a tape measure. Each Irken stepped forward to be measured, the lucky ones stepping off to the side with grins on their faces. Ria watched each candidate intensely. She didn't recognize any of them. How was she supposed to know if they had what it takes to rule this Empire?

Four Irkens were left. They each looked about the same height.

"We will remeasure these four," said Rarl Kove, "to find the tallest of them."

"Wait."

He turned to Alpha group. "What?"

Zim stepped forward. "I would like to be measured."

Tak bit her lip.

"Very well," said Rarl Kove, "please step up."

The magenta eyed Irken stepped beside the chair. Rarl Kove measured him, gave a funny look, then measured again. "I can say you're in luck. You're taller than these four candidates, however, you're not taller than Red and Purple."

"I will remove my ankles right now just to be shorter," said Red.

"Now don't do that," said Yule. "You two pulled yourselves from the candidacy. You aren't candidates for Tallest anymore." She looked to Rarl Kove. "Right?"

"That's correct. Irkens among us, join me in welcoming our new leader, Tallest Zim!"

Everyone in the room burst into cheering. A few Irkens were crying in joy. Some Vortians had shredded up napkins and were throwing them like confetti.

"Please come this way, my Tallest," said Rarl Kove. "We will fit you with your uniform."

* * *

"This is great!" Ria was dancing around the dressing room. "I was so worried about the fate of the Empire, but everything's okay now!"

Red and Purple had shed their armor, choosing robes to their respective colors. Tak, being established as Zim's mate, was being outfitted in robes as well. Ria had dubbed her Empress. Alpha group sat around where they saw comfortable as the tailors set to work.

"My Tallest," said one of them, "what would you like as your secondary color on your armor?"

"My first will be magenta, my second, dark purple, like Tak's eyes."

"Oh aren't you romantic?" Ria teased. She was fitted in a light blue outfit, but she refused to take off her hat. She looked over to Tak, whose purple robes were being fitted. Ria raised an antenna. _Tak, looks weird. Disproportionate. _She narrowed her eyes. The amethyst female looked a little nervous. She kept glancing at Zim, but his attention was elsewhere. "Tak, are you...pregnant?"

The amethyst female gasped lightly. _Now _she had everyone's attention.

"Pregnant?" Zim walked over to her. He placed a hand on her stomach, her slightly rounded stomach. He pulled his hand away. "Are you?"

Tak threw her arms around his neck. "You're going to be a father."

Ria started shouting and running around, Alpha group joining her in her cheers. "The sporos are gone! A smeet, a natural born smeet!" She stopped flat. "That's why you've been wearing baggy clothes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Zim asked.

"Because I didn't know what to think myself," said Tak. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

"I, Tallest Zim, will rule this Empire justly. We now enter the age of peace and prosperity, with our allies."

* * *

i liked the look of Zim wearing officer Squidman's hat, so i had Ria fish it out of the water and she kept it.

According to the script for 'The Trial' when Zim was still a smeet in the underground, it said that Red and Purple were there in class with him, meaning that they're around the same age.


	34. Epilogue

Epilogue

I am the voice of Dragons past

I don't own Invader Zim

* * *

Ria stood in the bridge. The Massive would remain in its personal dock unless it was ever needed once more. The area around the dock would be turned into closed grounds, not unlike that of a castle. She would have plenty of space to roam. She, Zim, Tak, and the rest of Alpha group were going to call this place their home. Red, Purple, and Yule were living their as well, being their personal chefs. The Tallest Tower, the former living space of a Tallest, was to be converted into Irk's first hospital with an entire ward for smeet delivery. Miyuki was set into a lower room of the Tower.

"Hey," Zim joined her in the center of the bridge, "what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing much."

" 'The cogs and gears are turning'," he quoted.

"I know. It's just, there's still a lot that needs to change for the better around here."

"Yes Ria, but we'll take each project one step at a time."

"That's a..." she paused and looked at him in shock. "Did you just call me Ria? In these years we've known each other, you've never called me Ria!"

"Oh yes, about that. I was just thinking, that if my and Tak's smeet is female, I wanted to name her Ezari. It's a pretty name, and for that to happen, I guess I need to get used to calling you Ria."

She got all choked up. "You want to name your smeet after me?"

"If it's okay with you."

"Of course! She'll be my little sister, I'll always protect her." Ria looked out the starshield, out to the city skyline. _I started as a street urchin who could barely make it to the next day_, _now I'm a hero who has brought peace to the universe. And I'm only eight, what else could I accomplish? _For now, the time called for celebration, plans would be made later.

* * *

**The title Auto-Defect was believed to be an incredible insult, but that was never true. The Auto-Defects were our salvation, and it took a very gutsy move on my part to make them so. The Empire is safe under Zim's watchful eye, which is very surprising, but I have faith in him. I have faith in them all.**

* * *

Hateful eyes that always observed. Those eyes belonged to a scarred body, one who despised the one who did it to him. He wouldn't let this go, his kind had given up too easily on defeating the Irken Empire.

_But I won't. I will make them pay._

* * *

**THE END!**

This story has been fun writing, I hoped you enjoyed it. A little foreshadowing at the very end, why you might ask? Because...

**I'm writing a SEQUEL!**

Look for the sequel to Over the Stars...**The Zenza- **coming out when I get around to it

I'm also thinking of maybe writing a collection of one shots about the characters, you know stuff like, the full story of Exel's scars, or what life was like for Yule. Stuff like that. I'll contemplate it for a bit and get back to you.

This has been Dragonvoice.


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